Tafara Gapare, a 6-foot 8-inch forward from Wellington, New Zealand, verbally committed to the men’s basketball program Friday, according to a tweet from Evan Daniels, the director of recruiting for 24/7 Sports.
Gapare is the first international recruit under head coach Jamion Christian and the first addition to the Class of 2025. He currently competes with the Scots College’s men’s basketball program in New Zealand.
He was a member of New Zealand’s international team at the U15 Oceania Championship in 2018. Gapare averaged 11.7 points and 4.2 rebounds in 20.6 average minutes per game. He shot 47.2 percent from the field throughout the six game tournament, leading his squad to a No. 2 finish.
He also played at the Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas with the New Zealand Basketball Academy, 24/7 Sports reported Friday.
The Colonials lost five players during and after the 2019-20 season. Junior guard Justin Mazzulla, senior forward Arnaldo Toro, sophomore forward Mezie Offurum and freshman guard Shawn Walker Jr. transferred. Rising senior forward Javier Langarica will not return to the team for the 2020-21 season.
The squad added four new transfers – graduate students Matthew Moyer, a forward, and guard Brandon Leftwich will be immediately eligible, but junior forward Ricky Lindo Jr. and sophomore guard James Bishop will need to sit for a year because of NCAA transfer rules.
Three freshmen – guard Lincoln Ball, guard Tyler Brelsford and center Noel Brown – will suit up for the 2020-21 season to round out the squad’s roster.
