2022 Recruiting

Anything and everything that is UMass Minutemen Basketball.
69MG
Hall of Fame
Posts: 12096
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2011 11:07 pm
Location: Western Mass

Re: 2022 Recruiting

Post by 69MG » Tue Aug 09, 2022 11:08 am

^ The delay may be due to clearinghouse issues. That happens on occasion with foreign students. I love this pickup but I think it may take him a year or two to get up to speed. He has the size, tools and athleticism but he hasn't played against top competition much. He came to South Kent in Jan. and only played 1 semester there plus 1 summer of EYBL ball.

He primarily played in New Zealand and there was a big step up when he got to South Kent. Fortunately, he has a coach who knows what he's doing so I expect big things from Gapare, but not this year. He'll help on D and on the boards just because he's got good instincts and is athletic. I can't wait to see the finished product.

User avatar
DoctorJ
Hall of Fame
Posts: 4171
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:36 pm
Location: Western Mass.
Contact:

Re: 2022 Recruiting

Post by DoctorJ » Tue Aug 09, 2022 2:14 pm

I agree. We should probably expect a guy with multiple tools and physical gifts but also who is a work in progress.

Film of him in NZ show a Point Center playing against a floor full of midgets. He did get international competition but it was an adjustment for him. He will surely need to develop but his gifts lead me to believe he could be a faster adjustment than some we have seen in the past. We won't know until we start seeing him in games.

The good news is he's got players on the team with a lot of skill and he will be tested every day in practice. He will need to adjust to the speed of the game, as they all do, but also to not being the biggest kid on the floor. Will probably play the 4 or 3, mostly, so he will still have a size advantage frequently.

Any idea who the rumored transfer might be? Position? My guess is another guard but Frank did like bigs in SC and a true center wouldn't be out of the question. I think a grad transfer with experience would be nice, if possible.

Go Frank!!! :D
Refuse To Lose!!!

UMassfan_19
Senior
Posts: 976
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 10:03 pm

Re: 2022 Recruiting

Post by UMassfan_19 » Tue Aug 09, 2022 2:41 pm

DoctorJ wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 2:14 pm I agree. We should probably expect a guy with multiple tools and physical gifts but also who is a work in progress.

Film of him in NZ show a Point Center playing against a floor full of midgets. He did get international competition but it was an adjustment for him. He will surely need to develop but his gifts lead me to believe he could be a faster adjustment than some we have seen in the past. We won't know until we start seeing him in games.

The good news is he's got players on the team with a lot of skill and he will be tested every day in practice. He will need to adjust to the speed of the game, as they all do, but also to not being the biggest kid on the floor. Will probably play the 4 or 3, mostly, so he will still have a size advantage frequently.

Any idea who the rumored transfer might be? Position? My guess is another guard but Frank did like bigs in SC and a true center wouldn't be out of the question. I think a grad transfer with experience would be nice, if possible.

Go Frank!!! :D
He did play at a high level in aau and was on a pretty talented team melo team

User avatar
DoctorJ
Hall of Fame
Posts: 4171
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:36 pm
Location: Western Mass.
Contact:

Re: 2022 Recruiting

Post by DoctorJ » Tue Aug 09, 2022 2:46 pm

How did he do? Any data?

I'm just going on what reports said when he was going to Kent.
Refuse To Lose!!!

69MG
Hall of Fame
Posts: 12096
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2011 11:07 pm
Location: Western Mass

Re: 2022 Recruiting

Post by 69MG » Tue Aug 09, 2022 3:10 pm

DoctorJ wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 2:46 pm How did he do? Any data?

I'm just going on what reports said when he was going to Kent.
Ask and ye shall receive. He didn't set the world on fire in EYBL, but he was OK. I like the 2.6 blocks per game. He was new to this level of BB and he was playing with and against some of the best high school players around so I think he did pretty well.

https://www.theseasonticket.com/stats/t ... ol=4823247

User avatar
Old Cage
Hall of Fame
Posts: 7114
Joined: Tue Apr 01, 2003 8:49 pm
Location: The Eastern Provinces

Re: 2022 Recruiting

Post by Old Cage » Tue Aug 09, 2022 3:22 pm

"Jack didn’t have any envy in him," Calipari said. "He was the greatest coach to ever coach here."

NilesGold
Hall of Fame
Posts: 8865
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2012 2:00 pm

Re: 2022 Recruiting

Post by NilesGold » Tue Aug 09, 2022 3:43 pm

69MG wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 3:10 pm
DoctorJ wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 2:46 pm How did he do? Any data?

I'm just going on what reports said when he was going to Kent.
Ask and ye shall receive. He didn't set the world on fire in EYBL, but he was OK. I like the 2.6 blocks per game.
Gotta nitpick here, 2.6 blocks per game (2nd in the EYBL) and leading his team in RPG, over an 11 game AAU season (for Gapare) is exceptional.

User avatar
DoctorJ
Hall of Fame
Posts: 4171
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:36 pm
Location: Western Mass.
Contact:

Re: 2022 Recruiting

Post by DoctorJ » Tue Aug 09, 2022 3:48 pm

He had several games with 5 blocks.

He didn't start but was among leaders in minutes played.

Looks like inconsistent shooting but he is still transitioning to higher quality opposition. In NZ nobody was close to his size.
Refuse To Lose!!!

bobolink
Senior
Posts: 896
Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2016 10:03 am

Re: 2022 Recruiting

Post by bobolink » Tue Aug 09, 2022 3:59 pm

Eager to hear final word on Tafara Gapare. Thought getting him was a long shot when I first posted about him long ago (during the first week of May!). That seems to go with Coach Martin's recent tweets about patience and good things for those who wait. Getting Gapare would be a very good thing.

69MG
Hall of Fame
Posts: 12096
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2011 11:07 pm
Location: Western Mass

Re: 2022 Recruiting

Post by 69MG » Tue Aug 09, 2022 4:16 pm

NilesGold wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 3:43 pm
69MG wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 3:10 pm
DoctorJ wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 2:46 pm How did he do? Any data?

I'm just going on what reports said when he was going to Kent.
Ask and ye shall receive. He didn't set the world on fire in EYBL, but he was OK. I like the 2.6 blocks per game.
Gotta nitpick here, 2.6 blocks per game (2nd in the EYBL) and leading his team in RPG, over an 11 game AAU season (for Gapare) is exceptional.
It's not like me to undervalue a new recruit. I'm feeling better every hour. I'm curious as to how he ended up here. One reason might be that a few of the big schools seemed to want him in the 2023 class. I'm guessing he wants to play NOW.

User avatar
DoctorJ
Hall of Fame
Posts: 4171
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:36 pm
Location: Western Mass.
Contact:

Re: 2022 Recruiting

Post by DoctorJ » Tue Aug 09, 2022 4:27 pm

I think a lot of schools were hot for him but, yes, preferred '23 to give him another year of prep and physical development.

But he has already gained 20 pounds since NZ. A college weight room and strength coaching plus higher quality team meals are going to help him build muscle on that frame.
Refuse To Lose!!!

Mykl_18
Freshman
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2022 8:28 pm

Re: 2022 Recruiting

Post by Mykl_18 » Tue Aug 09, 2022 4:36 pm

69MG wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 4:16 pm
NilesGold wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 3:43 pm
69MG wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 3:10 pm

Ask and ye shall receive. He didn't set the world on fire in EYBL, but he was OK. I like the 2.6 blocks per game.
Gotta nitpick here, 2.6 blocks per game (2nd in the EYBL) and leading his team in RPG, over an 11 game AAU season (for Gapare) is exceptional.
It's not like me to undervalue a new recruit. I'm feeling better every hour. I'm curious as to how he ended up here. One reason might be that a few of the big schools seemed to want him in the 2023 class. I'm guessing he wants to play NOW.
Looks like Frank might have poached him from Depaul if you look at the timeline of Frank's "great news" tweet and his decommitment. Only one day apart

TheInsider
Hall of Fame
Posts: 4435
Joined: Wed Apr 23, 2003 9:12 am

Re: 2022 Recruiting

Post by TheInsider » Tue Aug 09, 2022 5:30 pm

Don't forget he's from New Zealand.. he's been here for what? 1 season?? I am sure if he spent the last 4 or 5 years on the aau circuit the interest would be different. He is probably a little raw and probably hasn't played against the best over his young career, but the athletism and raw skills seem to be there.. he is almost the anti Tre Mitchell.. Tre was super polished but not really athletic at all. This guy seems unpolished and super athletic. One of those things you can't teach.

User avatar
DoctorJ
Hall of Fame
Posts: 4171
Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:36 pm
Location: Western Mass.
Contact:

Re: 2022 Recruiting

Post by DoctorJ » Tue Aug 09, 2022 6:01 pm

Hey, Marcus was pretty raw his first year. Cal pushed him and he developed quickly. He had an amazing supporting cast and a great coaching staff.
Refuse To Lose!!!

User avatar
Jackson96
Hall of Fame
Posts: 2981
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2013 11:28 pm

Re: 2022 Recruiting

Post by Jackson96 » Tue Aug 09, 2022 6:13 pm

I don’t know that he’s raw. I think he’s got to get stronger and used to playing against better competition (his last semester of prep school and this past aau season notwithstanding) — but skill-wise what I’ve seen and read makes him sound fairly developed.

I don’t think Camby was necessarily raw either — he just needed to get stronger. His skills and timing were there day one. He just couldn’t always do what he wanted to do because he wasn’t strong enough.

At any rate, we don’t have anyone like Gapare on the team with his length and athleticism. A group of forwards like Cross, Gapare, and Thompson has a lot of potential.
"I wrote a column and it went national"

Post Reply