Gophers Men’s Basketball Faces Season Challenges with Key Injuries

The Gophers men’s basketball team will continue to face challenges this season as several key players remain sidelined due to injuries and medical issues. Starting point guard Chansey Willis Jr. is out for the season with a foot injury. In a recent statement to the Pioneer Press, head coach Niko Medved confirmed that starting center Robert Vaihola and backup wing B.J. Omot will also be unavailable for the foreseeable future, while reserve wing Chance Stephens is away from the team.

The Gophers currently hold a record of 5-5 and have not had the opportunity to utilize their new transfers, Omot and Stephens, who have been missing for the entire season. Vaihola, a transfer from San Jose State, has been out of action for the last five games after aggravating a knee injury during a victory over Chicago State on November 18.

“I’m hopeful there is a chance that both of them (Vaihola and Omot) are back at some point this season,” Medved said before the team faced Purdue on December 6, where they suffered an 85-57 defeat. “That is kind of the plan and what we would like, but at this point there is no real timeline.”

Stephens, who joined the Gophers from Maryland, is expected to be absent for an extended period. Medved clarified that while Stephens is experiencing medical issues, “It’s nothing that is a life-threatening thing or anything like that.” The focus for him is on regaining his health.

In light of these injuries, the Gophers played only eight players during their recent upset victory against No. 22 Indiana on December 3. The team has faced further difficulties, with only seven players logging more than ten minutes against the Boilermakers, including two inexperienced athletes: redshirt freshman forward Grayson Grove and true freshman wing Kai Shinholster.

The new starting lineup features Isaac Asuma, Langstron Reynolds, Cade Tyson, Bobby Durkin, and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, all of whom are logging over 30 minutes in their two Big Ten games thus far.

Looking ahead, the Gophers have three non-conference home games scheduled to conclude December, beginning with a matchup against Texas Southern at noon on December 10. They will also host Campbell on December 21 and Fairleigh Dickinson on December 29. Following this stretch, Minnesota will start an 18-game series of Big Ten contests, starting with a road trip to Northwestern on January 3.

As the Gophers navigate through these challenges, the team’s resilience and adaptation will be crucial in determining their performance for the remainder of the season.