Saint Louis forward Robbie Avila, the A-10 Player of the Year, officially got a preliminary injunction on Thursday, clearing him to play a fifth season of college basketball for the Billikens, a move that rips right through the NCAA’s increasingly shaky eligibility rules. St. Louis City Circuit Court Judge Jason Sengheiser made the call, effectively letting Avila hit the court for the entire season, even as the Billikens are gearing up for a high-profile showdown against Missouri on Friday night.
The Specs Are Back, And So Are The Buckets
Avila, the 6-foot-10 forward who became a sensation with his “signature specs” back at Indiana State, is back! He followed coach Josh Schertz to Saint Louis after two seasons, and his impact is undeniable. Last season, he put up 12.8 points, after dropping 17.3 points as a junior. This guy lives on the court, having started 132 of his 137 career games. The Billikens had some serious hype coming into this season, and for good reason. They went 29-6 last year, clinching the A-10 regular-season title, and even snagged a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament where they took down Georgia before falling to eventual champ Michigan. Now, with Judge Sengheiser ruling that Saint Louis can even add a 16th roster spot for Avila until a full trial can be held, which could be months away, the Billikens get their star back for what looks like a full ride. Talk about a game-changer for the squad.
NCAA Chaos: Five-For-Five Or Free-For-All?
This whole situation with Avila isn’t happening in a vacuum. The NCAA announced earlier this year a “five-for-five” model, giving athletes five seasons over a five-year period. Sounds fair, right? Except the rule wasn’t meant for the 2022 class, guys who already exhausted their eligibility, and it lit a fuse on a wave of lawsuits across the country. And guess what? In most cases, judges are ruling for the players. Gonzaga coach Mark Few, he isn’t holding back: “The NCAA screwed up on this deal. You’ve got to be fair and let these (class of) 22’s in.”
What’s even wilder is that some of these players, Avila included, have already dipped their toes in the pro waters. Avila played for the Los Angeles Lakers during the NBA’s summer league, though he never signed a contract. And Missouri forward Mark Mitchell, who’s about to face Avila on Friday, played for the Denver Nuggets this summer. Mitchell was part of a separate lawsuit in Kentucky that won eligibility, for now, for 38 football and basketball players. It’s a whole mess out there.
So, Avila is playing Friday night against Missouri, and that’s huge. But what’s next for him, and for all these other players in limbo? Duke coach Jon Scheyer sums it up perfectly: “I think these cases are going to go well into the season. I think no question you’re going to have cases where certain players get an injunction, they’re eligible for a certain period, and then they’re not.” This fight is far from over, and you can bet college basketball fans everywhere are watching to see how this eligibility saga plays out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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