TCU men’s basketball made major sports headlines Thursday morning with news that the Horned Frogs and coach Jamie Dixon are nearing a deal to land former Saint Louis and Indiana State forward Robbie Avila. Avila, nicknamed “Cream Abdul Jabbar” among others, averaged 14.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists over his four-year college career. Avila was ruled eligible to play a fifth season after a preliminary injunction last week.
Avila was named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year in 2026. He was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference First Team in 2024 and the All-Atlantic 10 First Team in 2026. Over 137 games played (132 starts), Avila has shot 51.6% from the floor, 37.9% from the 3-point line and 77.3% from the free-throw line. Unselected after the 2026 NBA Draft, Avila signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and played in the Summer League.
Avila sued for a fifth year of eligibility in October 2026 and was granted a preliminary injunction on Nov. 5. He had initially planned to return to Saint Louis for a third season with the Billikens, but the College Sports Commission ruled shortly after that he couldn’t return due to the 15-man roster limit for men’s basketball teams.
Should Avila finalize terms with the Horned Frogs, he’ll join a team that’s off to a 3-0 start and without starting forward Luke Bamgboye due to injury. Dixon said after the double-overtime win over Louisiana-Monroe that the injury will keep the Texas Tech transfer out for “a while”.
Source: Yahoo Sports
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