Saint Louis' Robbie Avila suffers ankle injury ahead of season
09/28/2024 03:22 PM
Even if you’re not the biggest college basketball fan out there, there’s a chance you’ve heard the name Robbie Avila at some point over the last 12 months. That’s because Avila, who transferred from Indiana State to Saint Louis at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, gained a cult following last season thanks to his Jokic-light skillset, his one-of-a-kind appearance, and a deep lineup of nicknames that include gems such as Cream Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Blurred, Milk Chamberlain, or Porridge Mikan.
Unfortunately, one of the breakout stars of the previous season may be limited to start the 2024-25 campaign. According to College Basketball insider Jon Rothstein, an ankle injury will keep the big fella shelved for the next few weeks.
“Saint Louis’ Robbie Avila has a significant lateral ankle sprain and will be out a few weeks, per Josh Schertz. Transfer from Indiana State who averaged 17.4 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 4.1 APG last season.”
Saint Louis aims for program resurgence with Robbie Avila, Josh Schertz
After making three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2012 to 2014, the Billikens have since gone to the Big Dance just once in the last ten seasons. The last eight seasons have been under the watch of Travis Ford, who had previously led the Oklahoma State Cowboys to five tournament appearance in eight seasons in Stillwater.
Though Josh Schertz is nowhere near a household name, any diehard college hoops fan will tell you that the 49-year-old can not only coach his tail off, but he can also quickly turn around a basketball program.
Before arriving at Indiana State, the Sycamores hadn’t won twenty games in a single season in seven years. But by year two in Terre Haute, Schertz coached the squad to 23 wins. In year three, the Sycamores had arguably the second-greatest season in program history. For the first time since 1979 — when Larry Bird led the school to the National Championship Game — Indiana State won 30-plus games and appeared in the AP Top 25 Poll.
Shortly after the Sycamores lost in the NIT Title Game, Schertz took over as the head coach at Saint Louis. In his first address as the Billikens head coach, Schertz noted, “the opportunity to work, recruit and live in the great sports city of St. Louis was incredibly appealing.”
Apparently, it was incredibly appealing for Robbie Avila too. Just two weeks after Schertz was announced as the new head coach at Saint Louis, Avila followed him there. Schertz and Avila will be joined by senior point guard Isaiah Swope, who averaged 15.9 points and 3 assists per game at Indiana State last season.
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