Pitt Forward Sits Out Exhibition Game Due to Injury

PITTSBURGH - Pitt head coach Jeff Capel is expecting to have a suddenly key front court player back in the rotation before next week's season opener vs. Youngstown State.

Capel said that redshirt sophomore forward Papa Amadou Kante didn't play in the exhibition win vs. Pitt-Johnstown largely out of precaution, and is expected to be healthy enough to play against the Penguins.

"(Front court depth is) something that coming into the season, or in the summer, we thought would be a big strength of ours," Capel said following the exhibition win. "And now it's not as strong as it was. We held Papa out today; he had some swelling in his knee. He should be fine by the time we open up. We don't have a lot of experience there besides Cam (Corhen), and that's a concern, but we've got to figure it out."

Oct 19, 2025; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers forward Papa Amadou Kante (4) shoots the ball against Providence Friars forward Cole Hargrove (13) during the first half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Kante — a 6-foot-10 forward from Dakar, Senegal — was a four-star recruit out of South Kent Prep in the class of 2023 and initially signed with Michigan. He asked out of National Letter of Intent and flipped to Pitt — choosing the Panthers over offers from DePaul, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Miami, Ole Miss, Providence, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Syracuse, TCU, Tennessee, UMass and Washington.

Injury Limiting Kante Again

Kante played in 22 games last season after missing the entire 2023-24 season due to a knee injury. He served primarily in a depth role, averaging 2.1 points, shooting 52.2% from the field, and grabbing 1.1 rebounds per game.

Kante is a long, athletic big man, regarded as an asset on the defensive side of the game coming out of high school, but he hasn't played much at the college level. But with Iowa State transfer Dishon Jackson ruled out indefinitely due to illness, it will fall upon Kante to serve as one of the first big men off the bench this season.

Senior center Cam Corhen will play a majority of the minutes, challenged by Capel to be even more active on the glass this season, but he can't play 40 minutes per game - nor will the Panthers want him to. Sophomore forward Amdy Ndiaye is the only other big man who can serve in the rotation, as true freshman center Kieran Mullen has already been announced as a redshirt.

Kante will have a chance to make an impact this season, and according to Capel, he will be active against Youngstown State.

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