Gophers Niko Medved added some needed size to his roster with the addition of Rober Vaihola, a 6-8, 260lb transfer from San Jose State.
Here is message board conversation on the commitment: https://gopherhole.com/boards/threads/sjsu-center-robert-vaihola-commits-to-gophers.118261/
Here is the press release from the U:
University of Minnesota men’s basketball head coach Niko Medved has announced the addition of Robert Vaihola (San Mateo, Calif.) to the program. Vaihola comes to Minnesota after a three-year stint at San Jose State.
“Rob was one of the best rebounders in the Mountain West last season, and we saw firsthand what he could do,” Medved said. “He has a great physical presence in the paint, a gritty competitor and just a force around the rim. Off the court, he’s just an amazing person to have on our team and we’re excited that he’s a Gopher.”
Vaihola, a 6-foot, 8-inch forward/center, started in all 31 games for San Jose State last season, averaging 7.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. He ranked fourth in the Mountain West in rebounds per game and third in offensive rebounds per game (2.48). He also produced a team-best 44 blocks, also ranked fourth in the Mountain West, and recorded four double-doubles last season. Missing the 2023-24 season due to a foot injury, Vaihola came to SJSU in the 2022-23 season, where he played in 35 games and averaged 7.6 points and 6.5 rebounds. In that season, coming off the bench, he ranked 42nd nationally in offensive rebounds and recorded three double-doubles. There were six games in which Vaihola added double-digit rebounds and was the team leader in 11 games. Vaihola started his collegiate career at Fresno State, where he played in 22 games and shot 76.5 from the field his freshman season.