Inside The Panthers

Pitt F Fully Cleared for Season

The Pitt Panthers have one of their forwards fully cleared for the upcoming season.

Dominic Campbell

Feb 24, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers forward Papa Amadou Kante (4) warms up before the game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Feb 24, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers forward Papa Amadou Kante (4) warms up before the game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers basketball team got one of their forwards fully cleared for the upcoming season, bolstering their front court.

Redshirt freshman Papa Amadou Kante spoke to the Pitt fans on Twitter, announcing that he is fully back with the start of official practices for the upcoming season. Kante suffered a season-ending knee injury prior to the start of last season, keeping him out and allowing him to redshirt.

"What's up Pitt fans, it's Papa here," he said in his video on Twitter. "I want to say thank you for being here through this journey and I'm ready to roll right now. Cleared to go on live and I appreciate everyone who has helped me through this journey. I can't wait to see ya'll in the pit. Hail to Pitt!"

Pitt head coach Jeff Capel spoke on Kante's condition back in early August, and that he was doing everything except 5-on-5 scrimmage.

Kante originally committed to Michigan, but would choose to receive a release from his letter of intent in April 2023 and then commit to Pitt in May 2023. 

He came into Pitt as a four-star and a top 100 recruit in the Class of 2023, joining the likes of guards Jaland Lowe and Bub Carrington, plus three-star forward Marlon Barnes Jr.

Kante stands at 6-foot-10, hails from Dakar, Senegal and played high school basketball for South Kent Prep School in Kent, Conn.

He isn't the only Pitt forward that sat out for a large part of last season, as junior forward Jorge Diaz Graham played in just 16 games, missing all the games from Jan. 16 onward. He suffered an ankle injury and elected to get surgery in February, ending his season.

Jorge Diaz Graham also underwent surgery in late May to repair a core muscle injury that put him out another eight weeks. He came back to practice and fully cleared in late August.

Redshirt senior Zack Austin, Florida State transfer/junior Cam Corhen and twin brother, Guillermo Diaz Graham, will lead the Pitt frontcourt this season, while Jorge Diaz Graham, Kante, Barnes and freshman Amdy Ndiaye look to get some playing time off the bench.

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Dominic Campbell
DOMINIC CAMPBELL

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