With his black-rimmed goggles and lumbering 6-foot-10 frame, Saint Louis Billikens center Robbie Avila has developed quite a following in the world of college basketball.
He first entered the public consciousness two years ago when he led the Indiana State Sycamores to a 32-7 season that fell just short of an NCAA bid. He earned the nicknames “Larry Nerd” and “Larry Blurred” due to Indiana State’s connection to NBA legend Larry Bird.
TMZ Sports caught up with Avila before the No. 9-seeded Billikens take on the No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs on March 19 in the NCAA Tournament. TMZ wanted to know which of his many nicknames Avila likes best.
MORE: March Madness games on today, Round of 64 for March 19
He chose “Cream Abdul-Jabbar” over such other gems as “SLU Alcindor,” “College Jokic” and “Milk Chamberlain.”
“I think that’s the most creative nickname I’ve ever heard,” Avila said of “Cream Abdul-Jabbar.” “It’s hilarious, I love it.”
Avila also praised the creativity of “Steph Blurry” and “Milk Chamberlain” and a brand new one, “LeBron Frames.”
After the 2023-24 season, Avila left Indiana State to follow head coach Josh Schertz to Saint Louis.
He is averaging 12.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game as a senior for Saint Louis. Those numbers are down a bit from the 17.4 points and 6.6 rebounds he averaged in his final year at Indiana State and the 17.3 points and 6.9 rebounds he recorded last year for Saint Louis.
Saint Louis Billikens center Robbie Avila (21) handles the ball against Dayton Flyers forward Jacob Conner (24) during the second half in an Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Schertz told The Athletic the dip is due to Avila’s unselfishness and the overall talent of the Billikens squad.
“Everything he sacrificed, he sacrificed money, sacrificed playing time,” Schertz said. “He sets an unbelievable tenor for our whole program. His sense of humor, his humility, his team orientation, the kind of competitor he is, the way he cares about people. His compassion.”
The Billikens (28-5) meet Georgia (22-10) at 9:45 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount+.
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