Villanova Men’s Basketball Adds Another Maryland Transfer

Villanova Men’s Basketball picked up the commitment of forward Tafara Gapare, a transfer from the Maryland Terrapins, on Thursday, June 8, per a report from Jeff Neiburg of the Philadelphia Inquirer. A 6-foot-9, 214 pound rising senior with one season of eligibility remaining, Gapare hails from Wellington, New Zealand.

The Wildcats hosted Gapare on an official visit in April. A member of 247Sports’ top 100 recruits out of high school, Gapare hasn’t managed to make his natural talent convert to success on the court: Willard called him “one of the most frustrating players I’ve ever coached,” in an interview with Sam Jane of 247Sports last season.

Gapare committed to UMass Lowell out of high school before transferring to Georgia Tech as a sophomore, eventually landing in College Park last season. A part-time starter during his time with the Yellow Jackets, Gapare came off the bench once again during the 2024-25 season, putting up 3.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in an average of 10.3 minutes per night in a loaded Terrapins lineup.

He’ll likely serve in a similar role as a reserve with Villanova, especially with big men Duke Brennan, Braden Pierce and Matthew Hodge already in the fold. Gapare has experience under new Wildcats head coach Kevin Willard, who spent the past three seasons at Maryland, which will ease his transition to Villanova: both coach and player already have an idea of what they can get out of the other.

The Wildcats now have 14 of 15 spots filled on their roster ahead of the 2025-26 season: with much of the playing time already accounted for, any further player added would likely fill a supplementary role or take a redshirt year.

Click here to view the Wildcats’ updated roster.