Indiana State forward Robbie Avila commits to transfer to Saint Louis
Indiana State Sycamores power forward Robbie Avila has committed to transfer to the Saint Louis Billikens. Avila announced his decision in a live video with The Field of 68 on Saturday afternoon.
Avila became an extremely popular figure among college basketball fans during the 2023-24 season for his iconic look and large goggles. However, he really caught fans’ attention with his excellent play from the power forward position for the Sycamores.
In two seasons at Indiana State, Avila played in 71 games and got 66 starts. During his sophomore campaign, he played 31.2 minutes per game. He also averaged 17.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. He also shot 39.4 percent from three-point range. After that phenomenal season, Avila was named First-Team All-Conference in the Missouri Valley Conference for 2024.
Coming out of high school in Oak Forest, Illinois, Avila was an unranked recruit in the Class of 2022.
The Indiana State Sycamores had an excellent season but came up just short of winning their conference tournament. Because of that, the Sycamores missed the NCAA Tournament and went to the NIT instead. There, the Sycamores made a deep run before losing in the NIT Championship to Seton Hall.
Head coach Josh Schertz left Indiana State for Saint Louis following the NIT. CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander reported that Saint Louis was preparing to offer Schertz more than $2 million annually. Now, it looks like one of his best players is coming with him to the Atlantic-10.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.
Indiana State and the Transfer Portal
The Transfer Portal opened on March 18th, the day after Selection Sunday. However, teams that were still competing in postseason tournaments, like Indiana State, did not see many players enter until their teams were eliminated. At the same time, coaches still had to recruit transfers and evaluate their rosters while preparing for tournament games.
In the case of Indiana State, having head coach Josh Schertz leaving the program also added to the Transfer Portal turnover. Along with Robbie Avila, Eli Shetlar, Isaiah Swope, Ryan Conwell, Julian Larry, and Jayson Kent have all also entered the Transfer Portal. That means that the Sycamores are going to have a brand new look next season once all those players find new homes.
What will be interesting is seeing just how many of those players beyond Robbie Avila choose to follow Josh Schertz to Saint Louis. It will also be interesting to see if the magic that surrounded the Indiana State team will follow at all to Saint Louis for next season.