Maryland men’s basketball earns commitment from Georgia Tech transfer Tafara Gapare

Former Georgia Tech men’s basketball forward Tafara Gapare will transfer to Maryland, he confirmed Thursday.

Gapare’s decision was first reported by Jeff Ermann of InsideMDSports.

Gapare, who has two years of eligibility remaining, will become the fourth player to transfer to Maryland this offseason — and the first forward. The Terps previously added three guards: Rodney Rice (Virginia Tech), Ja’Kobi Gillespie (Belmont) and Selton Miguel (South Florida).

Head coach Kevin Willard now has just one open scholarship remaining for next season.

Gapare hails from New Zealand but played his senior year of high school basketball at South Kent School in Connecticut, where he was a four-star prospect in the class of 2022, according to 247Sports’ industry composite rankings. He was recruited by Maryland out of high school, but chose to start his collegiate career at UMass before transferring to Georgia Tech for his sophomore season.

As a sophomore, Gapare made 15 starts for the Yellow Jackets, averaging 5.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. His efficiency left much to be desired, as he posted a field-goal percentage of just 34.7% and a three-point percentage of only 16.9%. He finished the season strong, though, averaging 7.7 points and 6.1 rebounds on 41.7% shooting in the team’s final seven games.

When combined with his 6-foot-9, 206-pound build, Gapare’s innate athleticism has offered flashes of potential. His addition looks to be Willard’s response to the departure of Mady Traoré, who struggled to stay on the court in his one season with the Terps.

While Gapare adds depth and upside to Maryland’s frontcourt, his road to immediate playing time will be steep. The Terps return All-Big Ten forward Julian Reese, are bringing in five-star freshman Derik Queen and will have forward Jordan Geronimo back in the fold one season removed from making 26 starts.