In a game against Albany in December, Tafara Gapare showed a flash of how much of a difference maker he could be. The 6-foot-9 forward scored 15 points, made five steals, blocked two shots and made 6 of 10 shots, including a 3-pointer.
All in only 20 minutes of action.
“I think he’s still, in a good way, nowhere near his ceiling,” Raphael Chillious said. “I’ve known (Georgia Tech coach) Damon (Stoudamire) for a good 20 years, and I know he’s going to get the most out of him.”
Chillious coached Gapare at the South Kent School after the native New Zealander arrived at the Connecticut institution. Gapare became one of the top power forward prospects in the 2022 signing class.
After originally committing to George Washington, then pledging to DePaul after that, Gapare eventually signed with Massachusetts. He would play in 30 of 31 games for the Minutemen last season, all off the bench, and averaged 3.4 points and 2.1 rebounds
Gapare decided in March to look for a new place to play ball.
“I think at (6-9) it’s just his ability to get away from the basket and make plays. Offensively that makes him a really good threat,” Chillious said of Gapare’s potential. “I think he is still kind of learning who he is as a player, and his best is facing up kind of like that stretch (power forward/small forward) man.
“He has next-level athletic ability, and that’s probably his strongest point because he’s able to be an excellent weakside shot blocker. Defensively, he gets after it and is good at getting in the passing lanes. He’s going to be a high-level finisher in transition.”
Gapare is one of several newcomers on the Tech roster this season, but he’s no stranger to adjusting to new settings quickly. Chillious said Gapare may have an outwardly shy demeanor at first but truly is gregarious once comfortable in his surroundings.
And on the court, Chillious added, Gapare understands he needs to continue to work at his craft.
“He got thrown right into it at the highest level possible in prep school. But at the end of the day, we had some talks, and he figured out the things you can get away with being that talented in New Zealand doesn’t work here,” Chillious said. “He worked hard to get better at it.”
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