Who is Robbie Avila? Meet Saint Louis center that is March Madness sensation
Who is Robbie Avila? Here's what to know about the former Indiana State star, who has made his March Madness debut with Saint Louis basketball.
Robbie Avila stole the hearts of the men's college basketball world when he led Indiana State to a magical yet viral run in the NIT two years ago. He garnered the nicknames of "Cream Abdul Jabbar" and "The College Jokic" as he stuffed the box score with his 6-foot-10, 240-pound frame for the Sycamores. It's a run that saw him follow Josh Schertz to the Atlantic 10 and Saint Louis, where his second season with the Billikens has sort of been an "under the radar" one, just like that Indiana State 2023-24 season was operating until he became a viral sensation.
REQUIRED READING: Complete March Madness schedule: Dates, times, TV channels for 2026 NCAA Tournament The Billikens center's numbers are down a bit from last season, but he remains a key focal point of the roster as he helped Saint Louis to its first Atlantic 10 regular season title since 2014. He finished with 12 points in Saint Louis' dominant first-round win over No. 8 Georgia on Thursday, along with five rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and a steal.
"He’s the most team guy that we have," Saint Louis guard Trey Gray said of Avila after the Georgia win. "He leads us. He could’ve gone anywhere in the country, and he came here for a reason.
He came back for this. " Saint Louis will look to to extends its stay in March Madness with win on Saturday at 12:15 p. m.