Syracuse in the Mix For Intriguing 6-10 Forward Tafara Gapare
One of the most intriguing prospects on the recruiting trail is 6-10 forward Tafara Gapare. Gapare, originally from New Zealand, plays for South Kent High School in Connecticut. He has tremendous length, athleticism, handles the ball well, and is a three level scorer. With a strong live period this spring, Gapare is jumping onto the radar of high major programs across the country. South Kent head coach Raphael Chillious says he could be part of either the 2022 class or 2023.
"He's a 22, but because of the split transfer thing, he could come back and be a 23," Chillious said. "I assume (Syracuse's offer) is for whenever, but I'd guess from what I've seen in their recruiting, it's for 23."
Gapare arrived at South Kent just a few months ago and his game has improved even in that short time. The combination of size and athleticism, along with perimeter skills, is why schools such as Missouri, Arizona State, Xavier, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech and Syracuse have extended offers.
"He didn't get here until mid-January," Chillious. "Our program is not like a regular high school program. No matter how talented you are, it's hard to come in and make a big splash. There's a lot of stuff he had to learn and he hasn't played against this level of competition consistently. But the thing that gets people is he's 6-10, he's legitimate. He's a wing/forward, not a center. He's not a five. He's a perimeter player and extremely athletic. That's the thing that gets people to say 'wow.' He jumps like he's 6-2, he can really jump."
How would he fit at Syracuse should he ultimately pick the Orange?
"The first thing I thought of when they called was Hakim Warrick," Chillious said. "That position he played, the forward spot in the zone, he can cover so much ground because of his quickness, his length and his athleticism. For us, every now and then we'll play a 1-3-1 out of timeouts. We'll put him at the back, usually that's where a lot of people put a small guy. But we put him in the back and he can cover the whole baseline in a couple of steps. I think that fits right in line with their zone, for sure."
The last month or so has been a whirlwind for Gapare. He is still taking his time through the recruiting process.
"To be honest with you, it's a little overwhelming for him," Chillious said. "Two months ago he couldn't tell you Syracuse from Western Connecticut State. He's trying to figure out all of the colleges. There's been some big time schools coming through here and he says, "which school was that again? Who are they?" He's trying to figure it all out."
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