This season the Saint Louis Billikens etched their name in school history, posting a 29-6 overall record, the winningest season in school history. The Billikens dominated in conference play, posting a 15-3 record and claiming their first Atlantic 10 regular season title since the 2013-14 season. This season also marked the 11th Billiken appearance in March Madness, their first since the 2018-19 season. In their Round of 64 matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs, the Billikens reigned victorious by a score of 102-77. In this game the Billikens broke the school’s postseason records for Most Points in a NCAA Tournament Game (102), Largest Margin of Victory in a NCAA Tournament Game (25), Most Field Goals in a NCAA Tournament Game (42), and Most Assists in a NCAA Tournament Game (27).
However, the success of Billiken basketball was not necessarily a foregone conclusion, as the team posted a 13-20 record only two seasons ago. Rather, the program’s success came from the acquisition of Indiana State Head Coach Josh Schertz, who used his skills to transform the team and its roster. When Josh Schertz came to town after the 2023-24 season, a few players from Indiana State came along with him, the most notable of which being Robbie Avila, who quickly became a fan favorite in Saint Louis.
From the tipoff of the 2024-25 season, Robbie Avila has been off to the races, putting up averages of 17.3 Points Per Game, 6.9 Rebounds Per Game, and 4.0 Assists Per Game. This season, he was incredible as well, putting up 12.8 Points Per Game, 4.5 Rebounds Per Game, and 4.1 Assists Per Game, even when losing 8 minutes per game on average, as the team utilized their depth on the bench increasingly this season. Robbie’s role shift was huge for the team this season, as even though it seems his stats suffered, his three-point percentage increased by over five percent, and his overall performance seemed to improve, being dubbed “a coach on the court” by Billiken announcer Tom Ackerman, and being named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year.
Since Selection Sunday, Robbie Avila has taken the college basketball world by storm in a rather unique way, as it was not his highlights that brought him into the spotlight, but rather the nicknames given to him by Billiken fans. Although Robbie’s most popular nickname is “Cream Abdul-Jabbar,” he told sportscaster Pat McAfee that his favorite nickname was “Rob Wave,” a spin on his favorite rapper, Rod Wave. Other notable nicknames include “Larry Nerd,” “Milk Chamberlain,” and “Steph Blurry,” due to his usage of Rec Specs.
The Billikens went down swinging against top seeded Michigan in the Midwest Region, staying within 5 points for majority of the game, but unfortunately their hope of an upset was crushed by a 2nd half 16-3 Wolverine run. After the game, when asked about his thoughts on his season and the end of his college career, Robbie told reporters, “I just enjoyed every step of it. It’s definitely a heartbreaker.”
The city now turns its attention back to Coach Josh Schertz, who recently signed a 6 year, 22-million-dollar extension, a monumental achievement for the university to ensure the long-term success of the basketball program. However, next season will be Schertz’s first season since the 2021-22 season without Robbie Avila, and it will be up to him and his staff to find the new “coach on the court” for the Billikens. Coach Schertz has only coached one season at the Division One level without Avila, being the 2021-22 season at Indiana State, in which he posted an 11-20 record in a season he would probably like to forget. However, things are looking up for the program, as there are only four seniors on the roster, star players such as Trey Green, Quentin Jones, Amari McCottry, and Ishan Sharma are expected to return, and the Billikens will almost certainly maintain their depth through the transfer portal, especially after the school’s record-breaking season and postseason performance.
