Pitt Forward to Miss Remainder of Season

The Pitt Panthers announced some unfortunate news as forward Papa Amdou Kante will miss the reaminder of the season as he goes through an arthroscopic right knee procedure. Kante hasn't played since the Nov. 28 win over Ohio State.

The redshirt sophomore was averaging 2.8 points and 5.4 rebounds on the season. This isn't his first time dealing with injuries, as he missed the 2023-24 season with a knee injury.

Kante was healthy for the 2024-25 season, in which he averafed 2.1 points and 1.1 rebounds in about seven minutes of playing time per game.

Another Hit to the Depth

Standing at 6'10, Kante played an important role in the Panthers' size. With transfer center Dishon Jackson being out indefinitely, Cam Corhen is the one veteran player left who can play the center position.

Corhen has been delivering, leading the Panthers in points and rebounds, but the lack of size around him has been a weakness for the Panthers. Forwards Barry Dunning Jr. and Roman Siulepa, who stand at 6'6, are the next tallest players on the roster who were always meant to play.

The Panthers had no choice but to burn the redshirt of freshman center Kieran Mullen. Over the past month, Mullen has been given around 5-10 minutes of playing time per game. He has scored just one basket this whole season, but his role is mainly to set screens and focus on rebounding. Having Mullen playing allows the Panthers to give Corhen a break while having a 7-footer on the floor.

Forward Papa Amadou Kant — Oct 19, 2025; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers forward Papa Amadou Kante (4) shoots a free throw against the Providence Friars during the second half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

ACC Play

Though the Panthers had an awful start to the season, they seem to be slightly improving as ACC play begins. After two blowout wins over Binghamton and Penn State, they played their first ACC game against Miami on the road.

The Panthers fell to Miami 76-69, but their were moments of the game where the offense and defense both clicked. This includes a Pitt 20-0 in the first half.

Their next game will be in the Peterson Event Center hosting the 11-3 Clemson Tigers. Clemson has a good record, but a lot of their wins have been in close one score games.

Pitt may be far from a NCAA tournament team, but they could be improving at the right moment to be competent in the ACC. It starts with winning their ACC home-opener and improving from there.

We wish Papa Amadou Kante the best as he recovers and comes back even better.

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