Finalists, Looming Commitment Set for Four-Star Forward
- Ahmed Ghafir
- Jun 4, 2022
- 2 min read
With just two scholarships remaining, Maryland basketball is on the cusp of a final decision from a top target.
South Kent (CT) four-star forward Tafara Gapare announced a top group of DePaul, Illinois, Maryland, UConn and Virginia Tech on Friday evening with the Australian NBL and Overtime Elite League also under consideration.
Gapare, a 6-foot-10, 185-pound prospect at the four, was able to find success against 2024 top ten prospect Derik Queen in Team Melo’s 77-73 win last month and flashed the inside game along with his ability to become a perimeter shooter. Assistant David Cox is leading the way for Maryland with head coach Kevin Willard involved in his recruitment but sifting through the emerging interest has been the toughest challenge heading into a decision.
“At the moment just trying to decide if I’m going to college in 2022 or 2023, just a big decision right now,” he said last month. “Just waiting to see what options come up for me—pro and college.” Maryland was the first visit that Gapare took when he arrived in the states and that came under interim head coach Danny Manning, but the current staff has remained in contact “every day” as they work to iron out the frontcourt.
“They’re basically saying I can be a pro. They want me to play that four position, point-forward. They want to develop me and get me to where I want to go, the NBA. They really love me.” The development plan that his finalists have for him will become the biggest focal point down the stretch.
“When we went to look at the colleges, they showed us where I’d be playing, what they want to do with me. Going against guys like Derik Queen, there’s a lot like him in college, so just showing me how they’d use me.”
Gapare is rated a four-star prospect and a 93 overall according to the On3 consensus rankings, sitting at 76th overall in the nation and third-best prospect in Connecticut.
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