UTEP basketball signs French point guard Kezza Giffa
EL PASO, Texas - New UTEP men’s basketball head coach Joe Golding added some international flavor to the 2021-22 roster as Kezza Giffa, a product of Paris, signed an NLI to play for the Miners.
Giffa is a 6-2, lefty point guard and will have four years of eligibility for the Orange and Blue.
Giffa comes from a strong hoops background as his father Sacha Giffa played almost two decades of professional basketball in the EuroLeague.
Sacha was also teammates with former San Antonio Spurs all-star Tony Parker on the French National Team. Sacha saw time in the NBA’s coaching ranks, as he served on the New York Knicks summer league staff in 2017, and is currently an assistant coach with Kezza’s club team Levallois Metropolitans 92.
A profile on Giffa and a quote from Golding follows below.
Kezza Giffa
6-2, Point Guard
Freshman (age 18)
Levallois Metropolitans 92
Paris, France
PRIOR TO UTEP: Averaged 17.8 points per game (231 points) in 13 games with Levallois Metropolitans U21 during the 2020-21 season in France - Jeep Elite U21 … dished out 49 assists (3.8 apg) … led team in scoring and assists … gathered 41 rebounds (3.2 rpg) … tallied 14 steals … shot 46.7 percent (48-103) from the floor … hit 75.0 percent (66-88) free throws … scored a season-high 26 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including a 3-of-5 effort from beyond the arc, and registered five rebounds with five assists against Roanne U21 … scored 25 points (4-6 3-pointers) against Bourg-en-Bresse U21 … tallied 22 points and seven assists versus Monaco U21 … currently a top five finalist for MVP in the Jeep Elite U21 league … averaged 7.3 points during the 2019-20 season, and 7.0 in the 2018-19 campaign … competed with the French National U19 team.
Head Coach Joe Golding on Giffa
“Kezza’s a lefty point guard who sees the floor extremely well, and he’s a high-level passer. He’s got great basketball IQ, and we think he can be an elite defender. Kezza’s played a high level of international competition in France. We’re very excited to see him develop, and he’ll continue to work on his game early in his collegiate career. His dad played professionally, so he sees the game from a coach’s standpoint. Anytime we can recruit an elite-level for four years, it’s very exciting.”
