When the NCAA Tournament tips off, there’s always a player whose story, style, and swagger capture the national imagination. This March, that player was Robbie Avila, Saint Louis’ bespectacled big man whose goggles, nicknames, and unique brand of basketball made him a cult sensation across the country. With the Billikens’ run coming to a close after a hard-fought loss to Michigan, Avila’s legacy as a college basketball folk hero is secure—and his impact on the game will be talked about for years to come.
Avila, the 6-foot-10, 240-pound center from suburban Chicago, has never looked the part of a typical basketball star. His thick goggles—worn out of necessity, not as a March Madness gimmick—have become his trademark. The story goes that he once considered switching to contact lenses in high school, but his brother insisted, “You’re not you without your goggles.” Avila took that advice to heart, and his eyewear has since become synonymous with his on-court persona. “He needs them to play,” a Saint Louis official told a young fan after the first-round win, when asked if Avila’s goggles could be given away. Avila himself laughed about it: “I’ve been asked for my jersey, my shoes, but never my goggles.”
The goggles are just the beginning. Avila’s self-deprecating humor and embrace of his quirks have spawned a long list of nicknames—“Cream Abdul-Jabbar,” “Milk Chamberlain,” “SLU Alcindor,” “Larry Nerd,” “Larry Blurred,” “College Jokic,” “Baby Jokic,” and his personal favorite, “Rob Wave.” Each moniker is a playful nod to basketball legends and Avila’s own unconventional style. “It definitely took a little bit for me to kind of get used to when it first started happening sophomore year,” Avila admitted. “But like I said, I enjoy it. I have fun. I think the biggest thing is that I enjoy watching my family and friends enjoy it.”
But it’s not just the look or the nicknames that have made Avila a household name this March. It’s his game. Avila is the rare big man who thinks like a guard, shoots like a guard, and passes like a point guard. In the 2024-25 season, he led all Division I centers in both three-pointers made per game and assists per game—a testament to his versatility and basketball IQ. This season, despite battling a nagging foot injury, Avila averaged 12.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game, earning the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year award and leading a deep Saint Louis squad to its best season in school history.
“I’ve never seen a player like him. Never,” said teammate Dion Brown. “He’s 6-10. He thinks like a guard but doesn’t move quite as fast as a guard, but he shoots like a guard. There’s just so many ways he can affect the game. He’s someone who can elevate everyone else’s game.”
Avila’s journey began at Oak Forest High School, where he finished as the school’s all-time leading scorer. Recruited by then-Indiana State assistant Zak Boisvert, Avila was initially overlooked because, as Boisvert put it, “He doesn’t pass the look-test, but bear with me.” What Avila lacked in flash, he made up for in substance. “You watch the film, and it just pops out, the shooting, the passing. And then you get a chance to talk to him, and the brain pops out, because his ultimate superpower is just how he thinks,” Boisvert explained. “It took (Schertz) 16 minutes of basketball to say the kid’s perfect for us.”
At Indiana State, Avila blossomed under coach Josh Schertz, averaging 17.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game as a sophomore. Though the Sycamores narrowly missed the NCAA Tournament in 2024, Avila’s viral highlights and growing list of nicknames made him a social media star. When Schertz was hired by Saint Louis, Avila followed, and together they transformed the Billikens into a national contender. Over two seasons, Saint Louis went 48-20, setting a school record for wins and securing their 11th NCAA Tournament berth.
“Winning has followed him everywhere. It’s not a coincidence,” Schertz said. “There’s no person in the program more responsible for 29 wins and where we are than Robbie.” Avila, ever humble, credited the team: “I think we’ve been making a statement all year. It’s been special not only just him, but this whole entire team. I love these guys. They love me. So we’re going to continue to play for as long as we can.”
The Billikens’ tournament run began with a dazzling 102-77 rout of Georgia, where Avila posted 12 points, five rebounds, and five assists. The team racked up 27 assists and wowed fans with their pace and ball movement. The “Avila experience” was on full display, with chants of “Robbie!” echoing through the arena and fans clamoring for a piece of his legend—be it a towel or those iconic goggles.
The second-round matchup, however, was a daunting one. No. 1 seed Michigan boasted a front line featuring All-American Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr., and 7-3 center Aday Mara. Michigan coach Dusty May had high praise for Avila: “Robbie is the ultimate connector. He’s one of the best decision-makers that I’ve seen in college basketball as far as how quickly he can process and make the right decisions, and he puts the defense in a pickle almost every single possession.”
Despite a spirited first half that saw Saint Louis trailing just 47-39 at the break, Michigan’s depth and size proved too much in the end. The Billikens fell 95-72, closing the book on Avila’s remarkable college career. He finished just 10 points shy of the 2,000-point milestone, but his impact goes far beyond numbers: two-time All-Atlantic 10 selection, Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, and career averages of 14.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.
The tributes poured in after the final buzzer. The NCAA’s official social media account posted, “Never forget the legend of the goggles. Salute to Robbie Avila.” Fans echoed the sentiment: “The goggles are going in the college basketball hall of fame. Iconic doesn’t even cover it,” one wrote. “Thank you for everything you did for our program,” said another. “Dude was so fun to watch. Shame they had to play Michigan, worst matchup for them.”
Avila’s journey from overlooked high schooler to national sensation is a testament to authenticity, perseverance, and the power of being yourself. As assistant coach Zak Boisvert put it, “Understanding who you are and not trying to be someone you’re not is a superpower, and that guy gets it. I think it really makes him a better player, because I think he’s secure in himself, sure in who he is and his faults. I think that really is his superpower.”
As the Billikens turn the page, Avila’s goggles—and the legend behind them—will remain an indelible part of college basketball lore. The tournament may move on, but Saint Louis fans, and basketball lovers everywhere, won’t soon forget the player who made March a little more magical.