Robbie Avila reveals his favorite nickname, how long he's worn goggles
His goggles are one of the most defining features about Robbie Avila, but his play on the court quickly takes the focus elsewhere. Still, the spectacled 6-foot-10, 240 pound Indiana State center has heard no shortage of nicknames making reference to his appearance.
From “Cream Abdul-Jabbar” to “Larry Blurred,” college hoops fans have come up with a number of clever monikers for Avila. ESPN analyst Myron Medcalf spoke with Avila ahead of an NIT semifinal game on Tuesday to discuss his favorite nicknames, and his answer might surprise you.
“Obviously the nicknames we’ve heard,” Medcalf reported on the broadcast. “We have Larry Blurred, you have Cream Abdul-Jabbar. I asked him what’s your favorite nickname, he said Rob Wave, after the rapper Rod Wave. But he said the thing he enjoys the most is that his teammates get to enjoy the spotlight that’s been on them all year.”
Avila has been one of the most dynamic players in all of college basketball this season to average 17.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. He has even started to get some buzz as an NBA Draft prospect.
Avila helped lead the Sycamores to a Missouri Valley Conference regular season title before falling in the league tournament and having to settle for an NIT bid. He now has them just two wins away from the NIT championship, which would still be a fantastic achievement in just his second season.
Avila has long worn the goggles dating back to middle school, but he’s always had the game to quiet any comments from opposing players. He’ll aim to keep doing so as he’ll have an interesting decision to make at the end of this season.
“Yeah Robbie’s always had the goggles since he was about sixth grade,” Medcalf reported. “He’s had the game, too. His dad put him through a number of skill camps, and he said he had to go right-handed, left-handed, prove he could dribble. None of the kids in the camp could do it. Robbie could. He’s continued to grow his skills since then. They tried him on sixth graders, seventh graders, eighth graders, ninth graders, couldn’t find competition for him. He’s continued to develop.”
Indiana State currently leads Utah by a score of 77-66 with 7:27 remaining in the contest. Avila has 17 points, seven rebounds and two assists so far.