Inside the Article:
The Michigan basketball team suffered another blow on Tuesday when 4-star 2023 signee Papa Kante asked to be released from his national letter of intent. Kante, a 6-foot-10 big man was ranked as the No. 107 player in the 2023 247Sports Composite. He was signed alongside George Washington III as one of two members of Michigan’s 2023 recruiting class in November.
Key Points
- Michigan 2023-24 roster took a hit when 4-star recruit Papa Kante requested to be released from his national letter of intent.
- Kante was signed as one of two members of Michigan’s 2023 recruiting class in November.
- Kante played with the N.Y. Renaissance on the 2022 EYBL circuit, averaging 9.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 13 games last summer.
- Kante was expected to be a backup center next season, playing a similar role to Tarris Reed Jr.
Michigan basketball loses 4-star commit
In a statement on social media, Kante thanked the coaching staff and Michigan fans for their interest in him, but said he had decided to request a release from his NLI. He was expected to be a backup at the ‘5’ next season, playing a similar role to rising sophomore Tarris Reed Jr.
“First and foremost I want to thank Allah (God) for blessing me every day and making me believe that everything happens or the reason,” Kante wrote in a social media statement. “After a lot of thought and conversations with my family, I have decided to request a release from my NLI to University of Michigan. Thank you to the coaching staff and Michigan fans for their interest in me. Thank you to all my supporters, friends and family for continuing to show love.”
Bottom Line: Another loss for the Michigan Basketball program
Kante’s departure leaves the Wolverines with just one commit in their 2023 class. This coupled with the loss of Hunter Dickinson (he could still come back), Joey Baker, and Kobe Bufkin put Michigan in a tough position for the 2023-24 season.
