| Papa Amadou Kante | |
| Position: | Power forward |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 10 |
| Weight Lb: | 235 |
| League: | Atlantic Coast Conference |
| Team: | Pittsburgh Panthers |
| Number: | 4 |
| Birth Date: | 27 October 2003 |
| Birth Place: | Dakar |
| High School: | South Kent School |
| College: | University of Pittsburgh |
Papa Amadou Kante (born October 27, 2003) is an Senegal college basketball player for the University of Pittsburgh.
Kante moved to the United States in October 2019 where he started to play organized basketball for the first time. However, it wasn't until the summer that Kante began to receive attention playing for Expressions Elite on the EYBL Circuit and emerging as breakout prospect at Peach Jam. He was one of the youngest players on the U17 team, but held his own against older opponents.[1]
After moving to the states, he initially enrolled at a high school in upstate New York. Since he arrived after a certain date, he was not allowed to play varsity basketball, so he had to play junior varsity. After a year there, he transferred to South Kent School.[2]
He ranked number 91 (247Sports), number 95 (Rivals), and number 108 (ESPN) among the 2023 recruiting class. At South Kent, he led them to a 29–7 record, the NEPSAC Class AAA regular season title and Class AAA championship. Kante was named NEPSAC Class AAA first team in 2023 and earned honorable mention honors in 2022.
In November 2022, Kante signed his national letter of intent to play at University of Michigan.[3] He had offers from Siena College, Texas Christian University, East Carolina University, University of Georgia, Rutgers University, Syracuse University and University of Pittsburgh among others.[4]
On April 18, 2023, Kante requested a release from his National Letter of Intent with the University of Michigan so he could re-open his recruitment. It was later learned that he was granted his release because of an admissions issue.[5]
On May 22, 2023, Kante chose a new school. He committed to University of Pittsburgh and announced his decision on social media.[6]
During his freshman season, Kante suffered a non-contact knee injury during a workout and was expected to miss the 2023–2024 season.[7]
On September 23, 2024, the team announced that Kante was cleared for the 2024–2025 season.[8]