Quinnipiac graduate transfer Kevin Marfo had the Gophers among his five finalists, but he made a commitment to Texas A&M on Saturday night.
The 6-foot-8, 245-pound Marfo led the nation with 13.3 rebounds per game this season. He also averaged 10.2 points and recorded 17 double-doubles in 2019-20.
Marfo's final list of schools also included Penn State, VCU and St. John's. He was one of the top grad transfers on the market this spring.
As a senior at Worcester Academy in 2016, Marfo was recruited by the Gophers. He attended George Washington before playing the last two seasons at Quinnipiac in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Minnesota coach Richard Pitino remains in search of a big man to replace sophomore All-American Daniel Oturu, who declared for the 2020 NBA Draft. Pitino has two scholarships available.
The Gophers have expressed interest in several other big men transfers, including Loyola Marymount's 7-3 center Mattias Markusson, Wichita State's Morris Udeze and Virginia Tech's Landers Nolley.
Piitno said Oturu's early decision to leave gives his coaches a better chance to recruit and sell the opportunity to have a major role and make an immediate impact.
"I think recruits are going to see a need right away," Pitino told the Star Tribune in a recent Q&A. "They're going to see if you're good enough that we're going to get you the ball in the right spots. The hard part is we don't know what the transfer rule is. We don't know that. It could easily change here soon, and guys transferring would be immediately eligible. We all have got to be patient."
