Robbie Avila Leaving Saint Louis for TCU

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Lakers Exhibit-10 signee Robbie Avila during a game for Saint Louis in March 2026

The balance of power in college basketball is about to take a Robbie Avila-sized shift.

The glasses-wearing, Jokic-like big fella at Saint Louis University is about to transfer to TCU.

It’s not a done deal yet, but ESPN’s Pete Thamel has reported that it’s close.

Thamel wrote this on X on Thursday morning:

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 last year.

“Avila is one of the most prolific and recognizable players in the sport,” Thamel wrote in a follow-up post. “Huge add for TCU.”

St. Louis had hoped to have Avila back on its roster this season as the Billikens tried to be one of the top mid-majors in the country.

Instead, it looks like the Horned Frogs just got a lot better in a hurry.

Why Robbie Avila is Leaving Saint Louis for TCU

GettyBUFFALO, NEW YORK – MARCH 21: Robbie Avila #21 of the Saint Louis Billikens shoots the ball against the Michigan Wolverines in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at KeyBank Center on March 21, 2026 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Avila was always an eligibility question mark for this season.

He had exhausted the traditional amount of time a player can have in college basketball, but like many others, he was pursuing a lawsuit to add another year.

It seemed to work, sort of, but there was some back and forth in recent weeks. The College Sports Commission eventually handed down a ruling saying that Saint Louis couldn’t go over the roster limit it had already reached to make Avila a late add.

It was probably possible to fight that some more, but it appears the battle wasn’t deemed worth it by at least one half of the Avila-Saint Louis partnership.

So now the big fella is going to Fort Worth.

How Good is Robbie Avila?

GettyBUFFALO, NEW YORK – MARCH 21: Robbie Avila #21 of the Saint Louis Billikens dives for the ball against the Michigan Wolverines during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at KeyBank Center on March 21, 2026 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)

Avila is one of the most impactful players in the country.

The 6-foot-10 Avila was the 2025-26 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year. He averaged 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists and shot 41.0% from 3-point range.

He’s got an awesome game that could be compared in a stylistic way to Nikola Jokic for the NBA’s Denver Nuggets.

Avila isn’t a jumper or a supreme athlete. He’s just the smartest player on the floor and has the skillset to make that work for him — from Indiana State to Saint Louis, and now to TCU.