Robbie Avila became a household name for Southland basketball fans during a terrific career at Oak Forest. Now, he’s made quite a name for himself on a national level.
Well … several names, really.
Avila, a 6-foot-10 center, had a huge sophomore season for Indiana State (32-7), averaging 17.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists in leading the Sycamores to the NIT championship game.
Along the way, he became something of an internet legend, drawing in fans from all over the country with his signature black goggles and uncharacteristic skill set for a big man.
“I won’t lie, at first, it was kind of a lot,” Avila said of his newfound fame. “It was different seeing my face on social media more than I was seeing Lebron (James) or (Steph) Curry.
“It was an adjustment, but it was a lot of fun. Being able to enjoy all the nicknames and the highlight videos and all that, I was able to take that all in and have fun with it.”
Avila now has a laundry list of nicknames.
There’s Cream Abdul-Jabbar, referencing Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who also sported goggles on the court.
There’s College Jokic, which compares Avila to Denver Nuggets star and reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic — like Avila, a big man who can shoot from the outside and pass.
How about two nicknames that bring together Avila and Larry Bird, the greatest Indiana State player of all time? Avila has been called both Larry Nerd and Larry Blurred, more allusions to his goggles.
Indiana State’s Robbie Avila (21) defends against Northern Iowa’s Michael Duax (15) during a game in Terre Haute, Indiana, on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (Joseph C. Garza / AP)
“To have nicknames tying me in to Nikola Jokic, one of the best basketball players in the world right now, or a legend like Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, it’s amazing,” Avila said. “I’m just glad to be put in the same conversations as those guys.
“My favorite nickname personally is always going to be Rob Wave, named after my favorite musical artist Rod Wave.”
On Saturday, Avila announced his decision to transfer to Saint Louis, where he is following his former Indiana State coach Josh Schertz.
“In my mind, I kind of knew I was going to follow him,” Avila said of Schertz. “He trusted me out of high school. He was one of the few coaches who really believed in me and I wouldn’t be here without him, so I’m showing that same trust in him.
“I kind of told him, ‘Wherever you go, I’m going to follow with you.’ I’m excited to get over there and get back at in the summer. I think we’re going to be able to have the same success that we had at Indiana State.”
Avila is one of several college basketball standouts from the Southland to recently announce transfers.
Jayson Kent, Avila’s teammate at both Oak Forest and Indiana State, is headed to Texas, while his sister and fellow Oak Forest alum, Janae, is moving from LSU to Texas A&M.
The Kents will be joined in the SEC by former Homewood-Flossmoor star Alyssa Latham, who is headed to Tennessee from Syracuse.
Former Bloom standout Dante Maddox Jr. announced a transfer from Toledo to Xavier. Thornton alum Damarco Minor is going from SIU Edwardsville to Oregon State, and former Brother Rice star Ahmad Henderson is coming home to Illinois-Chicago after a year at Niagara.
Now, back to Avila and those nicknames.
Oak Forest athletic director Matt Manzke, who was Avila’s coach in high school, remembers a couple others.
“Robbie Buckets was going around for a little bit and Slo-Mo, because he kind of did everything a little bit in slow motion,” Manzke said. “There was nothing as creative as the ones out there now, though. Cream Abdul-Jabbar is just hilarious.”
Manzke also has been amazed by Avila’s sudden surge in popularity.
Oak Forest’s Robbie Avila (21) blocks a shot by Evergreen Park’s Malik Kelly (12) during a South Suburban Conference crossover game in Oak Forest on Friday, Jan. 7, 2022. (Steve Johnston / Daily Southtown)
“Something would get posted online and then my phone would blow up,” Manzke said. “It was awesome, but it was unreal.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever known anybody who’s more comfortable in his or her own skin than Robbie. He doesn’t worry about the hype machine. He’s getting this notoriety, but he’s still the same humble, down-to-earth person.”
For Avila, things got really wild after he scored 35 points in a Feb. 28 win over Evansville.
“My social media was just blowing up for a week or two,” he said. “It was one after another. My followers were going up. I was getting hit up by a lot of people. When I saw I had a couple NBA players follow me, I had (Dallas Mavericks owner) Mark Cuban following me, I was like, ‘Wow, this is kind of amazing.’
“It was awesome, but I just tried to stay as calm and cool as possible.”
Of course, we in the Southland knew about him first.
And I, for one, can’t wait to see what Cream Abdul-Jabbar does next.
