The Gophers men’s basketball team will not receive reinforcements anytime soon.

On top of starting point guard Chansey Willis Jr. (foot) being out for the season, head coach Niko Medved told the Pioneer Press on Tuesday that starting center Robert Vaihola and backup wing B.J. Omot will remain sidelined, while reserve wing Chance Stephens continues to be away from the team.

The Gophers (5-5) have been without new transfers, Omot (leg) and Stephens (medical issue), for the entire season. Vaihola, a transfer from San Jose State, has been unavailable for five straight games since aggravating a knee injury in the 66-54 win over Chicago State on Nov. 18.

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

Stephens, a transfer from Maryland, will remain a long-term absence.

“Right now from his issues that he has had medically, he’s not somebody that is going to be able to play,” Medved said. “For him right now, he is away from the team and just focusing on trying to get his health right. It’s nothing that is a life-threatening thing or anything like that.”

The Gophers played only eight players in the 73-64 upset of No. 22 Indiana on Dec. 3 and only seven more than 10 minutes against the Boilermakers. That includes two inexperienced players in redshirt freshman forward Grayson Grove and true freshman wing Kai Shinholster.

The new starting group — Isaac Asuma, Langstron Reynolds, Cade Tyson, Bobby Durkin and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson — have been logging 30-plus minutes in the two Big Ten games so far.

Minnesota has three nonconference home games to close out December: Texas Southern at noon Sunday, Campbell on Dec. 21 and Fairleigh Dickinson on Dec. 29.

The U will start an 18-game stretch of Big Ten play with a road trip to Northwestern on Jan. 3.

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