Robbie Avila isn’t a household name in college hoops … yet.
But now that the calendar is hitting March, you’re going to want to know everything about the Indiana State star who has been making waves with the Sycamores this season.
On Wednesday, in a win over Evansville, he dropped a 35-8-5 game with a three and a steal, one of those WHOA games that catches your eye. Speaking of eyes — he’s getting a lot of attention because of the goggles he wears, joining the ranks of names like Horace Grant, Amar’e Stoudemire and Kurt Rambis.
Let’s get to know the center ahead of March Madness:
1
Yes, he's heard the Nikola Jokic comparisons
Robbie Avila went off for a huge game against Evansville. He finished with
35 Points
8 Rebounds
5 Assists
1 Steal
58% FGIndiana State also got the win pic.twitter.com/CmIZ9bY2Ye
— KJ (@Kjpistons) February 29, 2024
His nickname, in fact, is The College Jokic! From the Indianapolis Star:
“Coach (Josh Schertz) always jokes around with me saying that I’m one step slower than everybody on the court,” Avila said. “I tell him I’m two steps slower, because they expect me to be one step slower, so I go a little slower than that.
2
He attended Oak Forest High School near Chicago
He’s their all-time leading scorer.
3
Why he wears goggles
Here’s an answer from The Tribune Star: He’s been doing it since he was a kid, and his mom insisted he do it.
4
His coach Josh Schertz is a fan
Robbie Avila came to ISU as a freshman with a lot of hype surrounding him. In his second year at ISU all @Robbie_Avila30's done is see every single offensive number go up. After yesterday's game @CoachMikeLewis & @CoachSchertzISU spoke about what makes Robbie so special #Sports10 pic.twitter.com/4PigZY3Gzb
— Marty Ledbetter (@MartySports10) December 18, 2023
A lot of talk about basketball IQ.
