The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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56 THE WOLVERINE DECEMBER 2022 BY CHRIS BALAS M ichigan head coach Juwan Howard officially added two more players to the U-M basketball family Nov. 10. Four-star combo guard George Wash- ington III and four-star center Papa Kante both signed National Letters of Intent for the 2023-24 season after com- mitting to the Wolverines in the last sev- eral weeks. Howard and his staff were still waiting on one more. Point guard Isaiah Collier, the No. 2-ranked player in his class and No. 1 point guard out of Marietta, Ga., still had Michigan on his short list head- ing toward a Nov. 16 decision, though most believed he was USC-bound. Whoever else comes, it's clear the U-M coach is pleased with his duo. He was of- ficially allowed to talk about his recruits after they signed, and he couldn't have been happier. "Papa and George are tremendous young men who are going to fit into our team and culture with ease," he said. "They come from wonderful families, who we really had a chance to get to know during the recruitment process. "Both have a mind and love for the game, developing skill sets and the work ethic we like to see with players in our program." Washington, a 6-2 guard out of Lou- isville, Ky., will play for Chaminade Julienne High School in Dayton, Ohio, this season. His family moved there when his father, George Jr., accepted an assistant coaching position with the Dayton women's basketball program in April. Many expected the former Ohio State commitment to play for the Flyers, but he had Michigan on his mind after a great visit. Washington ranks No. 112 overall and as the No. 16 combo guard in the On3 Consensus. As a junior at Christian Academy of Louisville, Washington av- eraged 23.4 points and 6.8 rebounds for a Centurions team that finished 20-12 last season after losing to Louisville (Ky.) Male 86-76 in the quarterfinals of the Kentucky Seventh Region Tournament. "George comes from a basketball fam- ily," Howard said. "He is a coach's son. He has grown up around the game. He has that certain mindset for it. We like that. "He is crafty and is a gifted shooter and scorer. He has a well-rounded game, and we can't wait to see him suit up." Kante, meanwhile, visited Michigan twice, most recently after U-M's bas- ketball media day to take in a practice in October. He didn't wait long to pledge. The South Kent (Conn.) School 6-foot-10 big man, On3.com's No. 36 senior and No. 4 center nationally, is the fourth international player Howard has signed in his tenure. He joins Franz Wag- ner (2019, Germany), Moussa Diabate (2021, France) and Youssef Khayat (2022, Lebanon) as the most recent interna- tional Wolverines. Kante earned All-New England Pre- paratory School Athletic Council Class AAA honorable mention honors as a ju- nior after averaging 15.2 points and help- ing the Cardinals reach the semifinal of the NESPAC playoffs. He has notched 19 games with 10-plus points in his career and four games of 20-plus, enjoying six games with 15-plus rebounds. "We are looking forward to bringing Papa into the fold," Howard said. "He has size, broad shoulders and the ideal frame that could have an impact right away. He is a strong rebounder and loves to block shots. "As he continues to add strength and works on all the little details, his offen- sive game will grow. Coach [Raphael] Chillious runs a great program [at South Kent] and is well known for developing his players for that next step." Meeting his parents was a thrill, How- ard said, even if it was online. "It was great getting an opportunity to speak with them this summer and get- ting to see them eye-to-eye, face-to- face on FaceTime," he said. "I haven't had an opportunity to go out to Senegal yet, but I'm looking forward to getting a chance to fly out and meet the parents in person. "You figure out ways to communicate. It's not that hard. Papa was helping in a lot of ways, on both sides … me com- municating with the parents, and the parents communicating with me." They'll get many more opportunities over the next few years. ❏ During the early signing period, Howard added a two -man class to his roster with On3 Consensus four- stars George Washington III, a 6-2 combo guard from Louisville, Ky., and 6-10 center Papa Kante, who plays at the South Kent (Conn.) School. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL BASKETBALL RECRUITING Juwan Howard Loves His New Additions And Is Waiting On One More MICHIGAN BASKETBALL'S 2023 SIGNEES Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School Papa Kante C 6-10 225 Senegal/South Kent (Conn.) School George Washington III CG 6-2 165 Louisville, Ky./Chaminade Julienne (Dayton, Ohio)