Saint Louis star big man Robbie Avila, the reigning A-10 Player of the Year, will return to the Billikens for a fifth year of eligibility after Missouri judge Jason Sengheiser granted Avila a preliminary injunction, just a day before SLU's enormous non-conference tilt against rival Missouri. Avila is expected to suit up and make his 2026-27 debut for Josh Schertz's club.

It's a massive boon for Saint Louis and college basketball. Dubbed Milk Chamberlain, Larry Nerd, Cream Abdul-Jabbar or Rob Wave, Avila has become one of the most recognizable names in the game. 

He can hoop, too. Avila averaged 12.8 points and shot 41% from 3-point range on 4.6 attempts for a Saint Louis offense that ranked second in the country in effective field goal percentage last season. Saint Louis started 24-1 last year, en route to earning an at-large bid and the No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament. It bulldozed Georgia, 102-77, in the first round before falling short to eventual champion Michigan in the Round of 32. It was Saint Louis' first NCAA Tournament win since 2014.

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Isaac Trotter
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Sengheiser's ruling comes after significant arguments from both sides. One key variable was that Avila verbally agreed to, but did not officially sign, an Exhibit 10 contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. Sengheiser also drew some eyebrow raises by ruling that the NCAA is not allowed to enforce its roster limits to block Avila from returning to Saint Louis' already-filled, 15-man roster. It's another major win for the players in the ongoing 5-in-5 saga against the NCAA's eligibility rules. There are currently 53 fifth-year seniors who are eligible and 16 who are not at the high-major ranks, according to Sports Illustrated's Kevin Sweeney. 

With Avila back in the fold, Saint Louis now has four starters back and two more key rotation players who hooped in the Big Dance. Expectations are extremely high, especially after Saint Louis' brass held off high-major poachers from Schertz, who is the hottest name in the coaching carousel. 

Avila may need a bit of time to knock off the rust in the early-going, but its wheels up for Saint Louis' 2026-27 long-term outlook. The Billikins are now the only team in America to retain three high-volume 40% 3-point shooters. Avila, Trey Green and Ishan Sharma combined to deposit 233 3-pointers last year. Bombs away.

But it's more than just 3s that makes Saint Louis' offense so hard to guard. The threat of the aerial assault opens up the paint. When Avila was on the floor, Saint Louis shot a whopping 63% at the rim. The layup is the most efficient shot in basketball, and nearly half (45% to be exact) of Saint Louis' shots came at the rim thanks to Avila's ability to draw shot-blockers away from the basket and make reads as a passer.

With Avila in the fold, Saint Louis looks like a top-25 team if it all clicks and the firm A-10 favorite. We'll see what VCU says about that, though.  

Saint Louis' projected starting lineup

Top bench options: F Alon Michaeli, G Amari McCottry, F Jax Kerr,  Cam Hutson, F Luke Laczkowski, C Sheek Pearson