Illinois offers 2018 big man Samba Kane
The Illinois staff continues to look for big men in the class of 2018 as the spring signing period approaches.
The latest offer is to three-star center Samba Kane, an international player from Senegal on Africa’s west coast who is playing at Florida Preparatory Academy, a private boarding school in Melbourne, Fla.
Orange and Blue News spoke to Florida Prep coach Pete Munch to get the lowdown on Kane’s recruitment and the new offer from the Fighting Illini.
Illinois assistant coach Chin Coleman took a trip to Florida to watch Kane play on Friday. Obviously, Coleman liked what he saw and the Illini extended the offer.
"We worked out as a team and they got to see him go up and down a little bit," Munch said. "They’ve been in the gym twice to see us. Coach Coleman came this time and Coach Antigua came the first time. The way he played tonight solidified their interest in him and they pulled the trigger."
Originally a 2019 prospect, Kane played last year Regis Jesuit in Denver, Colo. When he transferred to Florida Prep, the school reviewed his transcripts and placed him in the senior class as a 2018 graduate.
Coming from Senegal, Kane's knowledge of American college basketball is somewhat limited. He does want to learn more about Illinois, however, now that he has offer, Munch said.
"I can tell you he is very excited about it," Munch said. "He does know that Illinois is in the Big Ten and it’s a big-time conference. I almost guarantee he’s watching videos and looking up stuff on Illinois. That's just the kind of kid he is."
According to Munch, others showing interest include Georgetown, Arkansas, Pittsburgh, UMASS, and South Florida. The next step for Illinois is to get Kane on campus in Champaign for a visit.
"He doesn’t have a leader or anything along those lines," Munch said . "He’s just in the process right now. Illinois has been the first one to try to set up a visit, so we’re in the process of setting that up right now."
Kane's path the United States began when he enrolled at Flying Star Academy in Senegal, a program founded by the brother of former NBA Draft pick Mamadou N’Diaye. The most well-known Flying Star alum is 7-6 Central Florida standout Tacko Fall
N'Diay helps players from Senegal navigate the recruiting process here in the United States. A majority of the students enrolled at Florida Prep are international students, and the basketball roster represents six different counties.
On court, Kane is a long athlete who is further along defensively than he is at the offensive end.
"I think the first thing that jumps out about him is his size," Munch said. "He didn’t lift a weight until this summer. He’s just naturally humongous. In terms of on the court, he’s a great shot blocker and he has great instincts. His immediate impact will be on the defensive end."
Kane is still somewhat raw offensively, but he's a fluid athlete who continues to improve and develop.
Offensively, he's a very good offensive rebounder," Much said. "He’s very good at tracking the ball, but he also has a nice touch. He uses both hands well, he’s a 75 percent free throw shooter for us this year, and he can step out to 15-18 feet. "