Ahead of the 2023-24 season, PSN will be introducing every Pitt player and updating each player’s current situation on the roster. We continue our breakdowns with an introduction to Pitt’s freshman forward Papa Amadou Kante.
PAPA AMADOU KANTE
Hometown: Dakar, Senegal
Height, Weight: 6’10, 235 LBs (7-foot-4 wingspan)
Position: Forward
Number: 4
Year: Freshman
Last year: Amadou Kante was ranked as the No. 91 prospect in the class of 2023 according to 247 Sports. He played AAU ball with NY Renaissance, and also played prep ball for South Kent School in Connecticut under head coach Raphael Chillious. Check out his EYBL highlights below.
The storyline: Unfortunately for Amadou Kante and for Pitt, he injured his knee in September and will be out for the entirety of the 2023-24 season. He underwent surgery on September 22, according to Pitt’s roster notes.
In his own words: “I love to shoot, I love to drive to the basket, I love to get rebounds, do my moves under the basket, you know,” Kante said about his game on the night he committed to Pitt. “I just have to keep working. I’m not going to say I’m just a center like everyone says I’m a center. But I’ve got a lot of things to work on. I love to rebound, I love to shoot, and I’ve got a lot of things that people don’t know. I’m just going to go there, keep working on them. I’ve got a lot of things that I love to do in the game. If you watch me, you know I’m going to play hard. All of these things, these are my favorite things. I love playing hard. When I play hard, I can do a lot of things. I love to shoot though. I’ll be able to work on my handle so I can be more comfortable. But I feel like I can do more than just centers can do.”
In Capel’s words: “It’s unfortunate,” Capel said about Amadou Kante’s injury. “Even as a freshman, he probably would have been our most physical post guy. He is very strong and has an unbelievable motor. It’s something you can’t teach. It’s a big loss for us.”
