Villanova F Tafara Gapare Finding the Right Fit | Meet the Wildcats

This is one in a series of stories introducing the Villanova Wildcats’  2025-26 roster.

Tafara Gapare transferred to Villanova after spending the 2024-25 season playing at Maryland under new Wildcats head coach Kevin Willard. 

A member of 247Sports’ Top 100 (No. 69) for the class of 2021, Gapare, who originally hails from New Zealand, hasn’t managed to unlock that lofty potential during his three seasons in college: he spoke with Philadelphia Sports Now at the Wildcats’ media day about how he wants to prove that he’s more than just a freak athlete during his final season, showing his dedication to other aspects of the game like his defense and helping his younger teammates.

An experienced veteran who played for Willard before, the duo have a unique relationship: Willard feels compelled to unlock Gapare’s latent talent, even going so far as to call him frustrating to coach last season, while Gapare said he can help younger players get used to his head coach’s demanding style.

Late Career Resurgence

Before Maryland, Gapare made stops at UMass and Georgia Tech, coming off the bench for almost all of that time. While he set a career low in minutes (10.3 per game) with the Terrapins last season, Gapare saw his rate stats improve, setting career highs in field goal percentage (47.0) and three-point percentage (37.1) while picking up blocks (0.8 per game) at a higher rate.

Gapare won the dunk contest at Villanova Men’s Basketball’s season tipoff event back in September, taking flight from close to the free throw line, and is an excellent athlete for his 6-foot-9 and 215 pound frame. He isn’t as bulky as one might hope for from a big man, but he can make up for that with three-point shooting: 42.1 percent of his shots last season came from beyond the arc.

According to Willard, Gapare spent time at the five during offseason practices, testing out his and the rest of the team’s versatility. The lanky senior missed one preseason game with a right foot injury, then got the start against Virginia but played only 15 minutes. His usage early on this season might depend on how quickly the Wildcats recover from injuries suffered during practices, but if Gapare can continue the late career renaissance he began at Maryland last season, he could give Villanova plenty of upside.