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The worst part of Saint Louis basketball's 85-78 opening day loss to Santa Clara at the Field of 68 Opening Day Showcase in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Monday was not the final score. It was junior center Robbie Avila, who had to be helped off the court in the second half with a concerning ankle injury.
With just under five minutes left in the game, Avila drove to the rim, and tried to kick the ball out to the perimeter to redshirt senior guard Gibson Jimerson. As he was making the pass, he landed awkwardly and hit the ground hard. Avila then needed to be helped to the locker room, and did not return.
Avila had missed some time before the season after injuring his ankle during a practice, so there was already some concern about his health heading into Saint Louis' opening day matchup.
After the game, college basketball insider Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 provided an update on Avila's status after speaking with Saint Louis basketball head coach Josh Schertz.
“I talked to Josh Schertz afterwords, it doesn't sound great,” Goodman said. “It sounds like it's pretty much the same injury. He had a grade 2 sprain before that kept him out three to four weeks in the offseason.”
“My guess is they're going to be conservative, that's certainly what Josh told me,” Goodman continued. “We're not going to put him in harms way. We're going to take it slow with him. He walked out on crutches with his mom from the arena. I think he's going to be out four to six weeks. I don't know if we'll see him before league play.”
Expectations for Robbie Avila and Saint Louis basketball during the 2024-25 season
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After a disappointing 2023-24 season for Saint Louis basketball that saw the Billikens finish 14th in the Atlantic 10 and ended with the firing of longtime head coach Travis Ford, Saint Louis re-tooled and is ready to compete this season.
Saint Louis' first move was replacing Ford with Schertz, who led Indiana State to a runner-up finish in the NIT last season. Most notably, Schertz brough Avila, who is one of the most recognizable and best players in all of college basketball.
Last season during his sophomore season with Indiana State, the 6-10 Schertz averaged 17.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 39.4% from three and 53.6% from the field. Schertz' unique style of play as a playmaking big man and his iconic goggles make him a fan favorite.
Without Avila, Saint Louis will have to rely on players like Jimerson and senior guard Isaiah Swope, who also followed Schertz with Avila, transferring from Indiana State.
If Saint Louis is able to hold their own during the non-conference slate and Avila is able to return by start of conference play like Goodman projects, then the Billikens should still be able to put themselves in consideration for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
