Three Potential Robert Vaihola Replacements for Gophers Basketball

Minnesota is in the market for a new veteran big man in the transfer portal.

Mar 12, 2026; New York, NY, USA; UConn Huskies center Eric Reibe (12) stops Xavier Musketeers forward Anthony Robinson (21) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Robert Vaihola reportedly entered the transfer portal on Friday, which means the Gophers are firmly in the market for a new big man. Jaylen Crocker-Johnson and Grayson Grove are expected to return, and incoming freshman Chadrack Mpoyi will add depth, but they probably need another veteran. Here are three players whom I would consider going after if I were on the staff.

The Gophers have shown interest in 6-foot-10 UT Martin transfer Matas Deniusas, who would be a tremendous player to add to the frontcourt. For the sake of this exercise, I will be talking about three new players we have not previously covered.

1. David Fuchs, San Francisco

Feb 18, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Dons forward David Fuchs (8) drives the ball during the first half against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

If Minnesota is looking for a player with a similar skillset to Vaihola, they're going to have a hard time finding a player more similar than Fuchs. At 6-foot-9, 245 pounds, he has a similar body type, and he plays a similar style. He averaged 12.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game last season after transferring to San Francisco from Rhode Island.

He might be a bit undersized to truly play the five in the Big Ten, but he did score 11 points against the Gophers last November. They need to decide what body type they're looking for to play alongside Crocker-Johnson, but Fuchs is a high-major talent that I have my eyes on.

2. Anthony Robinson, Xavier

Nov 28, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Xavier Musketeers forward Anthony Robinson (21) reacts after a play in the second half against the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders at Cintas Center. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Robinson is a former three-star high school prospect from Arden, North Carolina. He began his college career at Virginia, and he played a role off the bench with 9.1 minutes per game as a true freshman. He transferred to Xavier last offseason, and he averaged just 2.3 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.

He certainly has room to develop his game, but he could be a low-risk, high-reward swing in the portal for the Gophers. At 6-foot-10, he would provide some much-needed physicality to the Gophers' frontline. He might not ask for the same financial compensation as some other big men in the portal, but he could still fill Minnesota's need.

3. Kash Polk, Arizona State

Polk is an under-the-radar option Minnesota could pursue. At 6-foot-10, he was offered by Niko Medved coming out of high school in Texas. He opted to head to the Big 12 and join Arizona State. He appeared in just six games as a true freshman after suffering a season-ending injury, but he still has plenty of potential. He might not fill Vaihola's role next season, but he's the type of player the Gophers should consider adding to their roster.