Center could be the most important position in the Big Ten, considering it's a league known for being physical and rugged — and loaded with talented post players.
The Gophers, who play host to Northwestern on Thursday night, were at their best when they had a formidable presence in the paint with Liam Robbins.
Now they are struggling with the 7-foot junior limited with an ankle injury. It's a situation that also reveals a lack of center depth for the Gophers (13-10, 6-10 Big Ten) that has plagued coach Richard Pitino during his eight seasons.
"You need to have a presence there," Pitino said after a recent loss. "When you take Liam out, it's hard with no low-post threat."
Robbins was a top-10 finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award last month, but his production has been more than cut in half since the injury.
He averaged 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and shot 46% from the field before the injury. He's averaging 2.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and shot 2-for-14 combined in losses to Maryland, Indiana, and Illinois.
Despite playing banged up and in foul trouble, Robbins still managed to have seven blocks combined in the past two games.
"He has a fighter's spirit," senior forward Brandon Johnson said. "Since he met me, he said whatever happens during the season he's going to try his 100 percent best to make sure he's able to be out on the floor with us. Liam's my guy. I try to help him out as much as I can."