2023 four-star big man Papa Kante lists Michigan in top five

Sep 19, 2022 - 3:27 PM

Four-star 2023 big man Papa Kante listed the Michigan Wolverines in his top five list over the weekend, along with Maryland, Rutgers, Pitt and Memphis.

Kante visited Michigan back in June, as Juwan Howard has been going after him hard on the recruiting trail. Kante is the 91st-ranked recruit in his class on the 247Sports composite, the 12th-best center and the 3rd-best recruit from the state of Connecticut.

“Coach (Juwan) Howard has been recruiting me personally,” Kante told On3’s Joe Tipton. “The first time he watched me, he offered me and he’s been on me since. I visited his school and he’s a good guy who cares about his players. The school is very nice. They are trying right now to schedule an official visit again so I can watch their practice and meet the players that will be there if I went there. I didn’t have a chance to watch their practice before and that’s something I want to see. He told me he sees me as having a big impact in my freshman year and he can help me to achieve my goals.”

Kante turned heads at an EYBL showcase in Kentucky, averaging 12.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game for NY Renaissance 17U. Those numbers earned him a spot on EYBL Louisville Second Team. You can watch highlights here, courtesy of 247Sports’ Cardinal Authority.

Kante is a versatile big man who can play with his back to the basket and hit a three when called upon. He’s also incredibly long, has good defensive instincts for timing on blocks, and runs the floor well in transition.

He’s got great patience in the post, and with his ability to stretch the floor, Kante could probably play alongside Hunter Dickinson or Tarris Reed at Michigan.

Michigan has yet to secure a commitment from the 2023, but landing a talent like Kante would certainly be a great start towards building the 2023 class.