Kante says 'family atmosphere' drew him to Pitt

Pitt made a late addition to the 2023 recruiting class Monday when 6’10” big man Papa Kante of South Kent announced his commitment to Jeff Capel and Pitt.

Kante is currently ranked No. 87 overall in the Rivals150.

“I just felt the most comfortable with them,” Kante told Panther-Lair.com. “It is like a family atmosphere there and I have really gotten to know them well over the past few weeks. They and I both think that I am going to fit well in the system so I could not pass up that opportunity.

"I made great relationships with the staff and I am also excited to get back to work with Gilbert Brown, who used to be one of my coaches at South Kent.”

The Pitt staff expects Kante to bring a lot of production to both ends of the court.

“They are going to play me inside and outside. They think that I will be able to impact the game for them on both ends of the court. They also think that I will be difficult to defend because of my ability to make open shots but also be tough to stop inside the low post.

"On the defensive end, they are really excited about me being able to come in and help them because they know I can switch one through five and they really like the type of energy I bring to the court.”

Kante’s ultimate dream is to play in the NBA and he thinks playing in the ACC will help out with that dream.

“It is really going to mean a lot to play in the ACC. That league has produced a lot of pros and I want to make it to the NBA so it just makes sense. I will be playing on the big stage every night. I want to do whatever it takes to help my team with the ACC championship, I am really excited.”

When asked what Pitt fans can expect out of him, Kante said, “They are going to see me play hard and they are going to see me do whatever it takes to win games for my team. Whether it is making baskets, passing to teammates, or blocking shots, I will do what is needed while playing super hard. We are going to win a lot of games.”