There are dozens and dozens of college basketball players who have been looking for a 5th year of eligibility, batting the NCAA in various courtrooms. One of them is Robbie Avila, a 6’10 big man with 132 career starts at Indiana State and Saint Louis. He’s been one of the most versatile offensive players in the country, coming off averaging 12.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, and 4.1 apg last season, earning A-10 Player of the Year honors.
As he’s been seeking a 5th year through the courts, the expectation was always that Avila would return to Saint Louis. After getting granted an injunction to play, Avila was set to join. However, the Billikens roster was already set at 15 max and due to a prior settlement agreement, they couldn’t add him officially to the roster.
So the super senior big man had to look at other options. And on Thursday, he reportedly found one.
NEWS: St. Louis transfer Robbie Avila is finalizing a deal to play for TCU this year, multiple sources confirm to ESPN. The sides are “close” to finishing the deal and he's expected to head to campus this week. Avila has scored 1,990 career points and was A-10 Player of the Year… pic.twitter.com/9a2IKg46ph
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 12, 2026
TCU Basketball is 3-0 to start the 2026-27 season, coming off a double-overtime scare win over Louisiana Monroe. They have a strong frontcourt, led by returning forward Xavier Edmonds (13 ppg and 8.3 rpg) and freshman forward, DJ Thomas (13.3 ppg). But this isn’t a big team, with backup center Ryan Hunt the only player in the rotation taller than 6’9.
Robbie Avila's potential impact for TCU Basketball
Besides frontcourt depth, Avila will be a major help on the offensive end. He and starting guard Brock Harding (8.3 ppg) can create a great passing dynamic, with several capable shooters who should be able to flourish on the perimeter. TCU already is shooting around 42% from deep through three games, albeit against inferior competition.
While there are clear pros to adding Avila, there are cons as well. First and foremost, he was on the Billiken sidelines for their last game and hasn’t spent any time with the Horned Frogs. There will be a transition period for him, especially since he won’t be the focal point of the offense. Plus, Avila will have to defend at the Big 12 level, against the kind of bigs that he never experienced at the MVC and A-10 level.
The schedule gets tougher immediately, with games against Notre Dame, Miami, and Texas A&M coming up in the non-conference. We’ll see if Avila will suit up for them and what kind of impact he’ll have. In the end, it’s a risk worth taking if you’re the Horned Frogs but it’s 100% a risk that could have some real downsides to it.
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