Daffe, Tevis knock out Thacher, 58-45
by Misty Volaski

Not all valley teams are created equal, spectators discovered last week in Thacher's boys' varsity basketball game vs. Villanova.
However, "It was close throughout the game, though we (Villanova) pulled away in the fourth quarter," Wildcat head coach Matt Dunn said of his team. The first half closed with Villanova only two points ahead of the Toads, though the Wildcats were eventually able to gain several more baskets in the last minutes.
Thacher came out strong with six three-pointers to Villanova's lone three-pointer, but it was the force of Djadji Daffe, Clark Tevis and Cole Gibson that ultimately brought Villanova the win.
Daffe ripped through the Toad defense to score 31 points and nab 26 rebounds, while fellow Wildcat Tevis had 13 points and scored Villanova's only three-pointer.
Not to be outdone, Graham Dauds of Thacher netted 16 points, scoring a large portion of Thacher's 45 points. Thacher finished up their season with a 6-10-0 record.
The win helps the 'Cats retain their undefeated status in the Condor League. They will go to California Interscholastic Federation playoffs this weekend, where they will go head-to-head with Holy Martyrs Friday at home at 7:30 p.m.

More on Djadji Daffe

It's not easy to be a starter for Villanova's varsity basketball team and excel in school at the same time - especially if you are French, and all of your classes are in taught in English.
But Villanova junior Djadji Daffe (pronounced Ja-jee Duh-fay) does all this and more. On the court, Daffe's 6-foot-5-inch presence could intimidate just about anyone. He leads the entire Southern Section in rebounds - topping even the toughest Division I players in rebounds per game. That's saying a lot, as Villanova is a Division VAA team. Daffe's fluid movements make him a real force on the court.
"He's a great team guy. He's our best defender in a long time," Varsity basketball coach Matt Dunn said. "He's a good leader in terms of competitiveness. He's everything you could ask for." Eighteen-year-old Daffe has been playing basketball since he was 8 at the suggestion of a friend. "I couldn't play soccer at all, so my friend said I should try basketball," he said.
But schools in France really push academics, and as Daffe got better at basketball, he decided to try a Kentucky school. "But I really didn't like it there," he noted. Again, at the request of a friend, Daffe looked into Villanova, and has been there ever since.
As his teachers all agree, Daffe works just as hard off the court as he does on it. The C+/B- student is taking all-English classes and hopes to attend UCLA after Villanova.
"We're really proud of his academics and athletics. He's just got a great attitude," Dunn said.

© 2002 The Ojai Valley News

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