EL PASO, Texas – Three-star recruit (Rivals) and 6-11 center Delano Tarpley (William J. Brennan HS) has signed with the UTEP men's basketball team, head coach Joe Golding announced Tuesday. Tarpley will attend the school and compete with the Miners starting for the 2026-27 campaign.
 
A brief profile on Tarpley and a quote from Golding follows below.
 
Delano Tarpley
Center
6-11, 245
William J. Brennan HS
San Antonio, Texas
 
Joining UTEP along with teammate and four-star recruit Donovan Criss from William J. Brennan HS … off to an outstanding start for his senior year … averaging nearly a double-double (10.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg) … has been a four-year varsity member, playing his sophomore and senior year with Brennan … spent his freshman campaign at Sotomayor HS and last year with the SoCal Academy … also taken care of business in the classroom by earning All-Academic accolades twice … invited to the NCAA academy … provided 5.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg and nearly 1.0 bpg as a sophomore at Brennan in 2023-24 … a good chunk (74 of 107) of his boards came at the defensive end … was practically perfect (8-11) from the floor while playing for the Oakland Soldiers at the EYBL in summer of 2025 … also all over the glass at the event, grabbing 23 boards (14 defensive) … chose UTEP over other multiple DI programs, including Arizona State and Cal.
 
"San Antonio Brennan High School was very good to us in this recruiting cycle, as we not only secured Donovan Criss, but his teammate Delano Tarpley as well. We love Delano's upside and skill offensively as we get ready to move to the Mountain West Conference next season. His size at 6'11 gives us a true center in the middle of the paint. Like Donovan, Delano is a great kid from a great family, and we think he will be a big part of the Miners program when he arrives on campus next year."
Head coach Joe Golding
 
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