Pitt Shares Recovery Timeline for Injured Forward

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers have not had a key post player for most of this season and now know when he'll return.

Pitt redshirt sophomore forward Papa Amadou Kante underwent an arthroscopic procedure to address a lateral meniscus issue and cleanup parts of his injured knee on Feb. 9, according to Stephen Thompson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Thompson also reported that Amadou Kante will full recover in six months, which should get him back to the court in mid-August.

Pitt has desperately missed forward this season and will hope Amadou Kante will get back fully healthy by next campaign.

Amadou Kante's Injury Issues

Much of Amadou Kante's Pitt career has been sidelined by injury, which has kept him off the court instead of contributing for the team.

Pitt Panthers forward Papa Amadou Kante — 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

He suffered a season-ending non-contact knee injury prior to the start his freshman campaign in 2023-24, keeping him out and allowing him to redshirt.

Amadou Kante returned for the 2024-25 season played in 22 games, averaging 7.0 minutes, 2.1 points and 1.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 55.2% from the field and 62.5% from the foul line.

His best game came against Ohio State on the road on Nov. 29, 2024 as he scored 12 points, making three of his four shots from the field and shooting 6-for-9 from the free throw line and grabbed four rebounds. His play helped Pitt comeback and win 91-88 in overtime.

Amadou Kante entered the transfer portal after the season, but withdrew his name and returned for this campaign.

He played in the first eight games, all in November, where he averaged 2.8 points and 5.4 rebounds over 14.1 minutes per game, while shooting 45.0% from the field and 44.0% from the foul line.

His best game was him scoring eight points in the 78-66 win over Eastern Michigan at the Petersen Events Center on Nov. 8.

Present/Future for Pitt Forward Depth

Pitt has also had issues with post depth, as there are only three available forwards at head coach Jeff Capel's disposal.

This includes senior Cameron Corhen and freshmen in Roman Siulepa and Kieran Mullen. Corhen leads the Panthers with 33.4 minutes per game, seventh most in the ACC, Siulepa averages 25.7 minutes per game and Mullen is a reserve role at just 6.3 minutes per game.

Corhen graduates next season, but Siuelpa and Mullen should return for next season, with Siulepa still as a starter and Mullen earning more time.

Pitt also has four-star forward Chase Foster joining in the Class of 2026. Foster plays for IMG Academy and is a consensus top 50 recruit in his class.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

Follow Pittsburgh Panthers On SI on Twitter: @InsidePitt