FWIW, I do everything possible to avoid compacting soil, by not tamping and by watering with a very gentle sprinkle the first few times until particles stop moving around. This is because I want as much air in the pot as possible so the soil can stay moist w/o rotting the roots, and so the roots can more easily grow through those spaces.
Opinions will vary but if it was me doing this, I would try to find a pot bigger than the basket, at least 5 gallons, so I won't have to repot it again so soon, because it's too hard to try to fill just 1" of space with new soil, because an enormous plant can make an enormous root system, a bigger pot makes it easier to provide consistent conditions, and to provide the ballast that such a big plant needs to stay upright.
