Four-star Papa Kante down to five schools

South Kent (Conn.) School four-star recruit Papa Kante tells On3 he’s down to five schools: Maryland, Memphis, Michigan, Pittsburgh, and Rutgers.

Kante, a 6-foot-10, 225-pound class of 2023 center, has officially visited each of his finalists, besides Memphis. The Tigers are the newest program to jump into the mix after head coach Penny Hardaway hired Kante’s former AAU coach Andy Borman as an assistant.

Additionally, Maryland is hosting Kante for an unofficial visit this weekend. Kante also received offers from Providence, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Tennessee, Miami, and others.

According to the On3 Consensus, the average ranking from all four major recruiting media companies, Kante ranks as the No. 76 overall prospect in the 2023 class. On3 is much higher than the industry, ranking the sharpshooter as the No. 32nd overall prospect.

Kante talks Maryland, Memphis, Michigan

Maryland: “Maryland is a great school and their location has a lot of international people. Coach (Kevin) Williard is trying to bring them back to where they were before. That relationship is really good. They’re recruiting me really hard, texting, calling every day, and trying to talk to my family. Coach Willard and coach Grant (Billmeier) tell me they will help me to achieve my goal and play me right away because of the energy I bring.”

Memphis: “Coach Andy (Borman) is the main thing. He started recruiting when he got the job and I really know him. He really helped me during the summer to improve my game.  If he chose to go to Memphis, they must be good people down there. Coach Penny Hardaway called me and talked to me for a while. He says I’m an energy guy who can shoot and handle the ball a little bit. He said what I can do in practice, he’ll let me do in a game. He’s not looking for me to just be a big guy in the post but to shoot, switch everything and be a part of the team.”

Michigan: “Coach (Juwan) Howard has been recruiting me personally. 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 talks Pitt, Rutgers

Pitt: “Pittsburgh is a great city. I like the facility and it’s a family over there. (Jeff) Capel and coach Tim O’Toole text me a lot, calls, and FaceTime me. Coach (Gilber) Brown was an assistant coach here and a Pitt alumni. Coach Brown is my guy and recruits me hard. They said I would play right away and make an impact.”

Note: Papa Kante played AAU with Pitt associate head coach Tim O’Toole’s son, Jameson O’Toole.

Rutgers: “I like the relationship I have made with them. I like their facilities and the campus is very nice. Coach (Steve) Pikiell talks to me and says how much he wants coach me. Coach TJ (Thompson) has been on me for two years now. They told me I’ll be playing right away and let me play through my mistakes.”

Note: Kante is close friends with Rutgers commit, Gavin Griffiths.

Scouting Summary

Papa Kante is very strong, and he plays extremely hard. You immediately notice his understanding of angles and footwork on the defensive end. He is strong and uses great leverage. He is a good rebounder in his area has strong hands once he gets ahold of the ball. The lateral movement may come into question on switching. Kante has good hands when the ball is around and above his chest area. He can knock down a pick and pop jump shot. Kante is an average to solid athlete and can struggle to finish at the rim, but he does not shy away from contact. He is a high floor type player. You know what you will get from him. – On3’s Jamie Shaw