Robbie Avila is officially back on the court for Saint Louis, thanks to a preliminary injunction granted Thursday by St. Louis City Circuit Court Judge Jason Sengheiser. This isn’t just a minor technicality, folks, this is the guy who averaged 12.8 points and was the Atlantic-10 Player of the Year just last season. He’s suiting up Friday night when Saint Louis takes on Missouri, and honestly, the rest of the conference better be taking notes.
The Court Just Gave Saint Louis a Massive Edge
Judge Sengheiser’s decision means Avila, who thought his college career was done, gets a full fifth season of eligibility. The ruling even lets SLU have a 16th roster spot just for him. And get this: the order is good until a full trial is held, which isn’t likely for *months*. That means Avila is eligible for the entire 2026-27 season. This whole situation isn’t entirely new, either; plenty of players from the high school class of 2022 across the country have gone to court for a fifth season after exhausting four years of eligibility ahead of the NCAA’s recent “five-in-five” announcement. Avila even played for the Los Angeles Lakers’ Summer League team after the Billikens were bounced from the NCAA tournament this spring, though he didn’t sign a contract. It’s wild, but it’s happening, and it’s a huge boost for the Billikens. Missouri’s Mark Mitchell, who will be on the court Friday night, also played for the Denver Nuggets’ Summer League team, showing this path isn’t unheard of.
A-10 Player of the Year Returns to a Title Contender
So, who exactly is the A-10 getting back? This is Avila’s third season with the Billikens, having transferred when his former coach at Indiana State, Josh Schertz, took over at SLU. As a junior, he dropped 17.3 points per game. Last season, 2025-26, he averaged 12.8 points while playing eight fewer minutes per game. He was lights out from deep, hitting 41% from behind the arc on nearly five attempts a game, and was named the 2025-26 Atlantic-10 Player of the Year. The team itself was a force last season, going 29-6 and winning the A-10 regular season title. That stellar record earned them a No. 9 seed in the NCAA tournament, where they eventually fell in the second round to the eventual national champion, Michigan. Adding a player of Avila’s caliber back into that mix? That’s just a game-changer.
Avila and the Billikens face Missouri on Friday night, and you can bet every single team in the Atlantic-10 will be watching. A 29-6 squad just got their Player of the Year back for what could be the entire season. The stakes are through the roof for this team, and the rest of the league just got a major headache.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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