When it comes to Robbie Avila, Saint Louis is hoping less is more.
The Billikens center was undeniably productive in his first season in the program, averaging 17.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He also logged 34.0 minutes a game, which ranked 11
th in the league and was unusually high for a post player.
It was all out of necessity, and coach Josh Schertz is optimistic Saint Louis won’t need quite so much time from its senior star.
“We didn’t have a team that was great at creating advantages; we had to manufacture them,” Schertz said. “A lot of that responsibility fell onto Robbie’s shoulders. … I think Robbie playing less minutes will allow him to be more effective in the minutes he plays instead of pacing himself for 38 minutes. If you’re playing 30 minutes, it’s a lot easier. You can play in shorter bursts.”
There is a track record in place. When he played for Schertz at Indiana State two seasons ago, the 6-foot-10 Avila had similar stats (17.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 4.1 apg) while playing nearly three minutes a game less.
But there’s more to it than usage. Schertz got the Saint Louis job in early April in 2024, had less time than he’d like to scour the transfer portal for players and then had to deal with injuries. Last offseason, there was a long runway to create a deeper roster for his second year in charge of the Billikens.
“Much like at Indiana State where the playmaking and the scoring was more evenly distributed, I think we were the only team in the country with three guys averaging 17 points a game,” Schertz said. “That being more distributed should allow him to be more efficient, more effective in the minutes he’s out there.”
For his part, Avila can see the value of saving some wear and tear and not being the major conduit of Saint Louis’ offense. But he also knows there will be a trickle-down benefit to other members of the rotation who are capable of making an impact.
“Not being out there all the time, obviously it’s going to be better for my body physically, so I’ll be able to play harder in the shorter bursts,” Avila said. “But I think it’s just creating different opportunities for the different guys we have on this team as well. I think we have different dynamics between our bigger guys, whether it’s me, Paul [Otieno], Kalu [Anya]. I think it’ll not only change how long I’ll be out there, but also what’s going on out there as well.”
A look at the Billikens
Coach: Josh Schertz, second season at Saint Louis, 19-15 with the Billikens and 422-124 in 17 seasons overall.
Last year: Injuries --- which led to significant depth issues --- prevented Saint Louis from matching preseason prognostications in Schertz’s first season. Nonetheless, the Billikens still went 11-7 in the Atlantic 10 to tie for fifth in the league, split two games in the conference championship and advanced to the NIT a season after going 13-20.
They’ll miss: Saint Louis saw two All-Conference players depart from last season. First teamer Gibson Jimerson (17.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg) made 422 shots from 3-point range over his five-year career and his exit leaves a void on the perimeter. Isaiah Swope, a third team pick a year ago, managed 17.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in his lone year as a Billiken.
Impact returners: Senior center Robbie Avila is a First Team all-Atlantic 10 selection this preseason, and figures to be a serious candidate for conference player of the year plaudits.
The Billiken who could take the biggest jump is redshirt junior Kellen Thames, who averaged 14.8 points and 7.5 rebounds in the team’s first four games before cramping issues stymied him the rest of the season.
“He’s had a good summer and a good fall, knock on wood,” Schertz said. “I think what people saw in the first four games before he went down, and I’m not saying he’s going to average that, but I think he has a chance to have a major impact. He’s so athletic, he’s such a good offensive rebounder, he’s such a relentless paint toucher. The way we’re going to play with the depth we have, we’re not going to need him to play 35 minutes.”
Newcomers of note: Typically, the expectation would be that 6-foot Xavier transfer Trey Green and the 6-foot-5 Quentin Jones (16.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg at Northern Illinois) would find themselves at the point and shooting guard, respectively.
But their strengths belie their heights.
“Doesn’t mean Trey won’t have the ball in hand, because he will some, but Trey’s at his best scoring the basketball,” Schertz said. “Quentin is at his best getting downhill and facilitating. He can make 3s and Tre can score in ways other than shooting. They’re a really nice combination.”
Another guy best not judged by size is the 6-foot-3 Dion Brown, who averaged 7.5 points and 3.9 rebounds at Boston College last season and 19.0 points and 7.6 rebounds at UMBC the year before that.
Saint Louis needed some interior heft to complement Avila and Kalu Anya (6.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg), and they found it in Quinnipiac transfer Paul Otieno (10.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg).
And don’t overlook either Ishan Sharma (Virginia) or Brady Dunlap (St. John’s), floor-stretch options with a chance to fill some of Jimerson’s old role.
“Dunlap and Sharma are very much alike in that they’re low-mistake players,” Schertz said. “They really know who they are. They are primarily shooters who can shoot off movement, they can shoot off the dribble. They make simple, good passes, they know who they are and they don’t try to do things they can’t do.”
Reasons to be optimistic: There probably isn’t another Atlantic 10 team with so many plausible lineup combinations.
“Nonleague, I’d be surprised if we’re not playing 10 guys a night,” Schertz said.
That might dip by a player by the time conference play begins, But the Billikens are unquestionably a team that will find strength in numbers.
X factor: By the end of last season, guard Amari McCottry had gone from a back-of-the-rotation option to arguably the Billikens’ fourth-best player.
He averaged 4.6 points and 3.1 rebounds, but he also is something of an avatar for Saint Louis’ versatility and could be used in many ways this season.
“I think Amari has really made great strides. He still has to work toward being more consistent, but progress is real,” Schertz said. “His ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor is real. … You look at him, he can play with the ball in hand as a point guard, and there’s lineups we can go to where he can be the center. At 6-6, 220, you saw him as a freshman last year guard [Davidson’s] Reed Bailey. He’s a lot of what drives that versatility.”
Circle the date: A pair of NCAA tournament-caliber teams make their way to Chaifetz Arena during nonconference play. Grand Canyon, last year’s WAC champion and now in the Mountain West, visits Nov. 15, while San Francisco comes to Saint Louis on Dec. 13.
Bottom line: Saint Louis won’t be caught short-handed this season. With the tested Avila as the most proven option on a team littered with them, no one should be surprised if the Billikens snip the nets in Pittsburgh in mid-March.
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Patrick Stevens is a veteran college basketball writer that has worked for The Washington Post, Syracuse Media Group and The Washington Times. He has written selected pieces for the Atlantic 10 since 2013.