Jeff Capel, the revered head coach for Pitt men’s basketball, scored a formidable triumph on the recruiting landscape. Four-star center Papa Kante, hailing from South Kent, Connecticut, has swerved his commitment from Michigan, and opted to ply his athletic prowess in the Panthers’ frontcourt for the 2023-24 season.

Papa Kante’s pivotal decision to commit to Pittsburgh transpired after he asked for a release from his national letter of intent to play for Michigan. His top-notch skills, saw him ranked by Rivals as the No. 87 player nationally in the Class of 2023, highlighting the significance of this new college basketball recruit for the Panthers and Jeff Capel.

Nevertheless, this isn’t Capel’s first such victory. He has a notable history of enticing elite high school talent to join his team. His Pitt Panthers class of 2023 is now ranked 22nd in the country. Kante’s commitment leaves Capel with just one remaining scholarship to allocate for the upcoming season.

Kante Bolsters Pitt Roster

Kante’s recruitment journey has seen a surge of interest from numerous renowned programs since its re-opening, including Alabama, Memphis, Syracuse, Texas, and Villanova, to name a few.

With Kante joining the team, the Panthers’ frontcourt receives a significant boost, already featuring starting center Fede Federiko and the powerful Diaz Graham twins, Guillermo and Jorge, instrumental in Pitt’s journey to the 2023 NCAA tournament. These strategic additions to the team bode well for the upcoming season and Pitt’s aspirations.

It was reported in April that Kante had posted his request for release from Michigan on social media. Expressing gratitude for the blessings in his life and for the continued support from friends, family, and fans, Kante seemed eager to embark on a fresh chapter in his basketball career.

Under Capel’s guidance, Kante joins the Panthers’ robust recruiting class, sharing the court with four-star guards Jaland Lowe and Carlton Carrington, and three-star wing Marlon Barnes Jr., all newly recruited this year. Two more players, Ishmael Leggett and Zack Austin, have recently joined the roster, further solidifying the Panthers’ team.

As Jeff Capel gears up for the new season, Pitt’s bolstered roster displays a remarkable balance between fresh recruits and experienced players. This strategic composition makes the Pitt Panthers a formidable opponent for the coming season and places them in an advantageous position to compete in the ACC.

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Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets made history Monday night by advancing to their first NBA Finals in franchise history. Jokic was terrific again as he passed Wilt Chamberlain for most triple-doubles in postseason history recording his eighth. Jokic finished the game with 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 13 assists. Not to mention, the big man had some legendary plays such as hitting his signature “Sombor shuffle,” with time winding down in the face of LeBron James. However, Jokic surprised many NBA peers in his postgame presser by coming to the defense of a longtime rival.

Nikola Jokic Defends Joel Embiid Winning the MVP

Nikola Jokic Shows Respect to the 76ers Big Man

During Jokic’s postgame presser, the Serbian big man pushed back against any notion of him caring about the MVP award. On top of this, he also had high praise for his longtime rival, Joel Embiid, who won his first one this season.

“I don’t think about MVPs anymore,” The Joker said. “I mean, I think it’s — people are just mean in saying that Embiid shouldn’t have won it. I think he should have won it. I think he was playing, if you watch it, extremely, extremely tough basketball through whole season. He was really amazing in 82 games or how many games he played.”

While the fanbases of each of these centers have certainly had their fair share of fights and arguments, one can see there is a healthy level of respect between these two MVPs. As for Jokic, he has never been one of pride himself on personal accolades and has always had a team-first mentality. Now, he will be focused on the ultimate team goal for the next few weeks, bringing a championship to the Mile High city.

How the Two Compare to Each Other

Embiid and Jokic do have contrasting styles of play. Embiid is a more physical presence willing to play bully-ball and is a better rim protector. Jokic on the other hand can decimate his opponent’s morale with his crafty passing and is just as deadly of a scorer whether it is in the post, mid-range, or even from downtown. The MVP race came down to these two stars again and one can see why by looking at the numbers. Embiid won his second scoring title and averaged 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and an effective field goal percentage of 57.3 percent. Jokic nearly averaged a triple-double with 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 9.8 assists, and an effective field goal percentage of 66.0 percent. All in all, both of these players have a bright future and the league is in great hands.

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The Toronto Raptors are currently one of five teams this offseason that is searching for their new head coach. Toronto’s front office is in to rush to find their next head coach. They’ve interviewed “far and wide”, with one interesting candidate landing another chance to be an NBA head coach. He last coached the Brooklyn Nets to start the 2022-23 season but was fired after seven games. 

Nash was the head coach of the Nets for three seasons and finished with a 94-67 record in the regular season. He was 7-13 in the postseason with Brooklyn. As a former MVP PG, Nash knows the x’s and o’s of coaching. In his time with the Nets, he dealt with a number of ongoing issues on and off the court with his players.

He had lost the locker room and was fired less than 10 games into the season. Now, Nash is getting a shot at being a head coach once again. The 49-year-old reportedly “impressed” the Raprtors in his formal interview.

Steve Nash reportedly ‘impressed’ the Toronto Raptors during his formal interview, per @michaelgrange pic.twitter.com/Q9n1m3fQAU

— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) May 23, 2023

Steve Nash has interviewed to be the next head coach of the Toronto Raptors

Reports say that the Raports were impressed with Nash’s preparation, along with his desire to get back on the court as a head coach. Nash is an NBA Hall of Famer and is well respected in Canada. He played for the Men’s National team back in his playing days.

However, his inexperience as a head coach was evident in his time with the Nets and that may hurt his chances with Toronto. The inexperience was most glaring in the postseason. He failed to make the adjustments needed to elevate the team.

The Raptors still have a lot of off-season matters they need to take care of besides finding a head coach. Fred VanVleet is eligible as a free agent this offseason and trade speculation looms around O.G. Anunoby. Brooklyn’s former head coach is on a long list of coaching candidates for the Raptors, but they could decide he’s the man for the job.