Sources – St. Louis star Robbie Avila is out with a sprained ankle

St. Louis star big man Robbie Avila will miss the next few weeks with a sprained ankle, but is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season, sources told ESPN on Saturday.

Avila suffered the injury during Friday Night Basketball festivities at the Pelicans.

Avila, a 6-foot-10 center who transferred to St. Louis from Indiana State last spring, was one of the biggest standouts of the 2023-24 college basketball season. He helped lead the Sycamores to 32 wins and a run to the NIT championship game, where they lost to Seton Hall.

Avila averaged 17.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists en route to first-team All-Missouri Valley honors. He was also the focal point for one of the most effective offenses in the country, as Indiana ranked first nationally in effective field goal percentage and 2-point percentage and 11th nationally in 3-point percentage.

Sporting eyeglasses and a unique skill set — he shoots better than 39 percent from 3-point range and is an outstanding passer for someone his size — Avila has become one of the most popular players in the country. He earned nicknames like “Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,” “Steve Bluery,” and “Larry Nerd.”

Avila’s coach at Indiana State, Josh Schertz, left the Sycamores for St. Louis after the season. His star senior was one of two Indiana State freshmen who followed him to the Atlantic 10, with guard Isaiah Swope also transferring last spring.

St. Louis opens the 2024-25 season on Nov. 4 against Santa Clara.