Robbie Avila injury update: College basketball insider suggests timetable for injured Saint Louis center

Robbie Avila, one of the more popular names in college basketball, could reportedly be missing significant time now to start this season.

Avila sprained his right ankle, which he has already done coming into this season, during Saint Louis’ opener against Santa Clara in the Field of 68 Showcase on Monday. With that, Jeff Goodman had the latest on when he could be back for the Billikens as his expectation now is that it might not be until they tip off conference play in the Atlantic-10 at the end of December or the start of January.

“Yeah, I talked to Josh Schertz afterwards. It doesn’t sound great. It sounds like it’s pretty much the same injury. You know, he had the Grade 2 sprain before, kept him out for – I don’t know, three, four weeks in the offseason,” said Goodman. “My guess is they’re going to be conservative. That’s certainly what Josh told me – hey, you know, we’re not going to put him in harm’s way here, we’re going to take it slow with him.”

“He walked out on crutches with his mom out of the arena,” Goodman continued. “I think he’s probably going to be out four-to-six weeks. I don’t know if we’ll see him before league play.”

Goodman thinks it’s even worse considering what they were already seeing yesterday from Avila. He had already put a lot into being ready for the start of this season with his new team but now may not be able to play again for another month or so.

“I thought he came out of the gates slow. You could see he wasn’t himself. It took him a little while to get comfortable and then he starts to get going and that happens,” said Goodman. “You just feel for him because, again, this is a kid who followed his coach to Saint Louis…The diet, everything, trying to get his body in good shape, all that. He looks better even though he was out for a while.”

Before his exit late in the second half, Avila posted 16 points on 60% FG with five assists, five rebounds, two blocks, and a steal. Still, with the Billikens already down for most of the game and second half, Santa Clara was able to close it over the final five minutes after he left with an 85-78 win.

Avila was one of the more significant transfer additions of this last offseason, especially among the mid-majors. Saint Louis will have to get used to being without him again, though, over their next dozen games or so depending on the timeline provided by Goodman.

“It sucks. It sucks,” said Goodman. “Saint Louis is going to have a rough time here for the rest of the non-conference slate, for sure.”