Four-star Michigan signee Papa Kante requests release from National Letter of Intent
2024 South Kent (Conn.) High four-star Michigan Wolverines basketball center signee Papa Kante has requested a release from his National Letter of Intent, he announced Tuesday afternoon. Kante released a statement on his Twitter account.
“First and foremost, I want to thank Allah (God) for blessing me every day and making me believe that everything happens for a reason,” Kante wrote.
“After a lot of thought and conversations with my family, I have decided to request a release from my NLI to University of Michigan.
“Thank you to the coaching staff and Michigan fans for their interest in me. Thank you to all my supporters, friends and family for continuing to show me love.”
Kante — a 6-foot-10 forward with a 7-foot-4 wing span — originally signed with Michigan during the early period in November.
A Senegal native who moved to the United States in 2019, Kante is the No. 57 overall player in the 2024 class, according to On3, and Michigan’s highest-rated signee. He’s the No. 6 center in the country and No. 3 player in Connecticut.
Michigan only has one remaining signee for 2024, Dayton (Ohio) Chaminade Julienne four-star guard George Washington III, the Gatorade Player of the Year in Ohio. A former Ohio State pledge, Washington is the No. 111 player nationally per the On3 Industry Rankings.
Howard commented on Kante’s addition back in November.
“We are looking forward to bringing Papa into the fold,” the Michigan coach said in a statement. “He has size, broad shoulders and the ideal frame that could have an impact right away. He is a strong rebounder and loves to block shots. As he continues to add strength and works on all the little details, his offensive game will grow. Coach (Raphael) Chillious runs a great program and is well-known for developing his players for that next step.”
Now, the Wolverines have only one true center on the roster in sophomore Tarris Reed Jr. Meanwhile, Hunter Dickinson, a two-time All-Big Ten honoree who’s entering his senior collegiate campaign, entered the NCAA transfer portal March 31 but could still return to U-M.
The Wolverines have added three transfers this offseason in guard Nimari Burnett (Alabama), guard Caleb Love (North Carolina) and forward Tray Jackson (Seton Hall), though none have been formally announced by the school. Michigan is also in on former Tennessee forward Olivier Nkamhoua.
Stay tuned at TheWolverine.com for more on Michigan’s roster in the days to come.
