General
Name pronounced “tuh-FAR-uh guh-PAR-ee” … Versatile, athletic and skilled player who can score, rebound, pass and defend multiple positions … Became a significant contributor for the Jackets in 2023-24 after conference play, and started the last nine games … Former four-star-rated recruit from New Zealand who spent his senior year of high school in Connecticut and played his freshman year at Massachusetts … Enrolled for the summer, 2023 term and has three seasons of eligibility remaining … Majoring in business administration
2023-24 (sophomore at Georgia Tech)
Played in 29 games, starting 15, and averaged 18.2 minutes … Started Tech’s final nine games and played 20 or more minutes in nine of the last 12, filling the void created by the absence of Ebenezer Doquona (who was injured the final nine games) … Last seven games, averaged 7.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 20-of-48 FG, 11-of-13 FT, 8 blocks … Scored in double digits against Syracuse, Clemson and Wake Forest during that stretch, pulled 10 rebounds and blocked three shots against Florida State … Started nine ACC games total, including Duke on Dec. 2 … Averaged 5.1 points, 3.7 rebounds with a team-high 20 blocked shots in conference games … Key off the bench in Tech’s win over No. 3 North Carolina (6 points, career-high 8 rebounds, 3 blocks) … Had a team-high 33 blocked shots for the season and ranked 10th in the ACC in blocks per game (1.14) despite his limited minutes … Returned from a three-game absence early in the season to score 35 points with 11 rebounds in Tech’s three games against Georgia, Alabama A&M and Penn State … Went 13-26 from the floor with three blocks and two steals in 61 total minutes … Scored career-high 20 points with six boards in 28 minutes in Tech’s win over Penn State … Scored nine points with seven rebounds and four blocks to help Tech defeat Hawaii in the Diamond Head Classic
2022-23 (freshman at UMass)
Averaged 12.4 minutes per game over 30 games … Averaged 3.4 points and 2.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 31.2 percent from the field for the Minuteman, who finished the season 15-16 overall … Despite limited playing time, he led the team in blocked shots (20) and went to the free throw line 40 times … Scored a season-high 15 points against Albany … Played a season-high 24 minutes against Rhode Island in which he scored 11 points, made a pair of three-point field goals and grabbed a season-best seven rebounds … Had one other double-figure game – 13 points vs. Hofstra
High School
Reclassified from the Class of 2023 to the Class of 2022 … Spent the 2021-22 year at the South Kent School in Connecticut … Ranked as the No. 1 player in Connecticut and No. 10 power forward by 247Sports for the Class of 2023 … Top-50 recruit nationally by 247Sports … Rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals … Tabbed 81st-nationally and as the No. 18-ranked power forward by Rivals.
Coach Stoudamire says: “Tafara is about as talented as they come. He’s one of the most talented players that I’ve seen. Now it’s a matter of turning talent into production. He has the ability, and it’s a matter of us being able to get everything out of him, both from a basketball perspective and as a young man. His ability to shoot the ball, the ability to get rebounds and start the break, pass the ball … you don’t really see guys like him that often. He has a world of potential.”
