Former Pitt star Gilbert Brown made sure Jeff Capel knew about Papa Kante
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Two years ago, when Gilbert Brown was hired as Pitt’s Director of Alumni and Player Development, Papa Kante started appearing on Jeff Capel’s radar.
Capel might have noticed Kante, anyway. A 6-foot-10, 225-pound player with a 7-foot-4 wing span who can hit 3-pointers is hard to miss.
Still, Brown — a Pitt man since his days as a 1,046-point scorer from 2006-11 — made sure Kante wouldn’t get lost among the dozens of athletes Capel was evaluating.
“He was one of the first kids I sent over,” said Brown, an assistant coach at South Kent (Conn.) High School during Kante’s sophomore season (2020-21). “ ‘You have to check this guy out,’ ” he told Capel.
“Papa has always been one of my favorite players to coach. During the recruiting process, he’s been a guy that we’ve been high on for a very, very long time since the time I was there.”
Kante, who signed his letter of intent with the Panthers on Tuesday, received a scholarship offer from Pitt as a sophomore.
He initially chose Michigan and signed with the Wolverines before asking for his release from his letter of intent last month. Through it all, he remembered that Pitt and Capel were among the first to make him a priority.
“Papa really loved his initial meeting with Capel when he met him his junior year,” Brown said. “Pitt was one of the first scholarships Papa received, might have been the first or second.
“That was one of the main reasons for his decision (to eventually choose Pitt). He knew we were there first. He knew Capel was there recruiting him and believed in him right away before any other school really put a bid in.”
All accounts about Kante indicate he could become a significant defender and potential scorer in the paint area.
He was named to the All-New England Preparatory School Athletic Council first team this year, averaging a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) while shooting 57% overall from the field, 38% from 3-point range. South Kent finished 32-7, won the NEPSAC AAA championship and appeared in the National Prep School Championship.
Kante, a native of Senegal, moved to the United States in 2019. His recruitment picked up last summer after he played on the Nike EYBL Circuit with the N.Y. Rens. He averaged 12.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.0 block.
But those are just numbers.
Capel built an NCAA Tournament team last season by recruiting transfers and freshmen who fit the culture he wants to create at Pitt. Brown called Kante “a culture kid.”
“Hard worker, passionate, cares about all of his teammates and really treats everybody like they’re his brother,” he said. “I loved working with the kid.
“He’s a kid that stands up, cheers for his teammates, is excited for everything and just cares about winning. He fits our culture and what we’re trying to do here at Pitt.”
Athletically, Kante appears to have what it takes, minus the experience he’ll receive only in the grind of his freshman season of 2023-24.
“Papa is very gifted, just being able to sprint and run the court and get up and contest shots athletically on the defensive end. He’s come so far since I’ve coached him three years ago. He has a special ability that a lot of bigs don’t have. He’s a shot blocker and defender. He alters shots. He’s a solid post defender because he fights.”
But can he contribute as a freshman?
“The one great thing about Papa’s ability is he’s a sponge,” Brown said. “He picks up things very fast, and he remembers them, whether it’s a skill he’s using on the court in terms of scoring or just defensive positioning and principles.
“And he has a motor. Those are the things that are going to help him get on the court right away, along with rebounding.”
Pitt entered the NCAA Tournament this year and won two games without the necessary depth in the frontcourt. Thus, Federiko Federiko’s late-season knee injury compromised Pitt’s ability to patrol the paint.
“(Kante) gives us the depth we need,” Brown said. “He’s able to post up and seal players and score, make moves in the post and score over guys. He can stretch the court and hit the 3-point shot. He shows room for a high ceiling to develop into a really, really good-skilled big.
“He can score inside and out. He’s another talented piece that we needed on this team so we can go to the next level.”