What is Saint Louis's mascot, the Billiken?
One of the biggest toy crazes of the 1900s exists today in mascot form.
Saint Louis earned its first men's NCAA Tournament win in more than a decade by routing the Georgia Bulldogs in the round of 64. That left a new audience who may have been unfamiliar with Josh Schertz's program with two questions: who's the big guy in the glasses, and what, exactly, is a Billiken? Robbie Avila -- Cream Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Nerd, Spex Chapman, etc -- remains a revelation after his original star turn at Indiana State.
He made the move to Missouri alongside head coach Schertz in 2024, pushing Saint Louis into the top 20 of the Associated Press rankings for the first time since 2014. The reigning Atlantic 10 player of the year remains a folk hero thanks to a silky jumper and smooth passing game that makes him a menace to gameplan against. It's tough to put Avila in a box.
The pale mascot with the devilish grin cheering him at every home game (and in postseason tournaments)? The Billiken is a bit tougher to explain. The Billiken was a creation of Missouri teacher Florence Pretz, who designed the doll in 1908.
It had its own gimmick -- delivering good luck to the buyer but even more luck to someone who received it as a gift. It was visually similar to a kewpie doll, which is to say... a bit unsettling.