Minnesota Basketball: Gophers get 7 foot transfer, Liam Robbins from Drake

This past season saw Drake’s starting center lead the nation in blocked shots. His name is Liam Robbins, he has decided to enter the transfer portal and he just committed to the Gophers.

The loss of Daniel Oturu to the NBA was a significant blow to next year’s Gophers, leaving a massive hole in the middle. It appears as though Robbinswill fill that void.

Liam Robbins

Ht: 7’0”
Wt: 235
Pos: Center
Hometown: Davenport, IA

The thing that stands out about Robbins is that the led the nation in blocked shots this past season. Besides his 2.9 blocks per game he also scored 14.1 points and grabbed 7.1 rebounds while starting for Drake in the Missouri Valley Conference.

What does he mean to the Gophers?

Losing Oturu was a huge blow and Richard Pitino has to find a way to replace his 20 points and 11.3 rebounds. Robbins is not going to replace Oturu’s production alone, but this is a significant step in the right direction. Robbins should be able to step in and immediately be adept at protecting the rim. Scoring and rebounding should be solid.

This is a very nice get for the Gophers heading into next season. More help and depth is going to be needed, but Robbins closes that gap.

He is not a graduate transfer but it is widely expected that the NCAA is going to grant a blanket waiver this season for all transfers. This is not guaranteed and if not, Robbins would have to sit out the upcoming season. Assuming the waiver, he will be able to play right away with 2 years of eligibility.