Juwan Howard has Michigan in good spot with 2023 four-star C Papa Kante heading into visit next week

It’s been a busy summer for the Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball program, and it’s about to get busier with a few talented recruits visiting Ann Arbor in the coming months.

One of those recruits is 2023 four-star center Papa Kante, who is set to visit Juwan Howard and the Wolverines next week from June 14-16. Based on recent momentum on the recruiting trail, it feels like Michigan is emerging as a frontrunner for the big man. He’s looking for a place with a great culture where he can fit in and make himself comfortable.

“They have been recruiting me since November,” Kante said to On3’s Jamie Shaw earlier this week. “They have been in contact with me constantly. Coach (Juwan) Howard has been talking to me. He has been coming to see me personally; he’s been to my high school two times. South Kent is very tough to get to, so that means a lot. He has developed a lot of big guys, he played in the pros himself, and he says he will help me get to the next level.”

“As of pressing send on this piece, leading into the visits, Michigan should feel good about where they are,” Shaw opined in the above article.

A four-star center out of Connecticut, Kante is 114th overall (per the 247Sports composite), but his stock is bound to rise as the summer goes along.

Kante was named as one of Shaw’s standouts on at the Pangos All-American Camp earlier this month. He also impressed at a recent EYBL showcase in Kentucky, averaging 12.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game for NY Renaissance 17U. Those numbers earned him a spot on EYBL Louisville Second Team. You can watch highlights here, courtesy of 247Sports’ Cardinal Authority.

Michigan has yet to land a recruit in the 2023, and Kante would be a welcome edition. Kante and Tarris Reed would give the Wolverines a great young frontcourt that could help compete with other giants in the Big Ten.

If Kante chooses to commit to Michigan and Dickinson returns for his senior season, the Wolverines have a chance to have the best core of big men in the conference.