TankOdds
Robbie Avila
2025–26 Saint Louis season averages
Draft Outlook
Avila is one of the stranger evaluations in this class, which is exactly why he belongs here. The offensive case is real: a 6’10” center who can pass, shoot, and run offense through the elbows is not normal college-basketball stuff. The draft hesitation is real too, because teams still have to decide how much of that survives against NBA athletes.
He is not being projected as a clean first-round pick right now, and that is fair. Still, skilled offensive bigs with this much feel do not disappear just because the fit takes more imagination.
Biography and Background
Avila grew up in Oak Forest, Illinois and first broke out nationally at Indiana State under Josh Schertz before following Schertz to Saint Louis. He has worn the signature sports goggles since he was young, and they have become part of his whole public identity.
The goggles also helped spark the nickname factory. Cream Abdul-Jabbar is the one most people know, but the better basketball point is that Avila does not play like a typical college center.
College Career and Production
Avila has been productive at both Indiana State and Saint Louis, but the Saint Louis season sharpened the profile. He averaged 12.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists, shot 42.3% from three, and won Atlantic 10 Player of the Year.
March gave him a mixed but useful sample. He had 12 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks in the first-round win over Georgia, then finished with 9 points and 5 assists in the loss to Michigan while shooting 3-for-13. That was a reminder of both sides of the case.
Strengths
Avila’s best trait is feel. He sees the floor like a playmaker, moves the ball quickly, and can punish teams that treat him like a regular center. The passing is not a gimmick. It is the thing that makes the offense bend around him.
The jumper is the other major selling point. A 6’10” center hitting over 42% from three changes the geometry of a floor, and he does it without looking rushed. He also scores with touch instead of trying to overpower every possession.
Concerns and Development Areas
The defensive questions are obvious. Avila is not a quick-twitch athlete, and NBA teams will test him in space over and over. If he cannot protect the rim or hold up in switches well enough, the offensive skill has to do a lot of lifting.
That is what makes the fit tricky. He probably needs the right system, the right lineup context, and a team willing to build around skill instead of expecting a normal backup center profile.
Why Robbie Avila Is Worth Watching
Avila is worth watching because players this unusual tend to force a decision. Either the NBA talks itself out of the offensive skill package, or one team decides the passing, shooting, and feel are too useful to ignore.
He may never look like a standard prospect, and that is part of the appeal. The goggles catch people first, but the real reason to keep watching is that he sees the game differently and sometimes controls it that way too.
Related Tools
- 2026 NBA Mock Draft & Lottery Forecast: see how the lottery order could play out and which prospects land where.
- Prospect Ranking Methodology: how TankOdds weights tools, production and fit in its draft rankings.
- Team Pick Sim: model pick-protection rules and conveyance odds for any team.
By: Oren Fugon
Last updated: April 6, 2026
Sources: Public game logs, school/team information, league context, and TankOdds editorial analysis. See Editorial Policy and Data Sources.
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