Who Is Indiana State’s Robbie Avila? Know The Sensational ‘The College Jokic’

Some basketball players can think through the game at a breakneck pace. They see the game a step or two ahead of their rivals. Rather than relying solely on physical prowess, they may control a game with intelligence and talent. What distinguishes Robbie Avila, an Indiana State sophomore centre, from the competition are those intangibles, the traits that don’t necessarily appear on the stat sheet.

Who Is Indiana State’s Robbie Avila? Know The Sensational ‘The College Jokic’

Though it’s difficult to characterize a 6’10, 240-pound athlete as inconspicuous, Avila wouldn’t be the first player who comes to mind when considering the nation’s top mid-major prospects. On the court, he wears retro Rec-Spec-type goggles. He works mostly below the rim and has an unchiseled frame. However, when the game is over, Avila will have contributed to every statistical column.

You can hardly miss Robbie Avila. This season, the 6-10, 255-pound sophomore from Indiana State has wowed fans with his 14.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game average for the 13-2 Sycamores.

More notable than those figures is the big man’s seamless appearance in his highlight reels. He went famous on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok as “the College Jokic.”

“Coach (Josh Schertz) always jokes around with me saying that I’m one step slower than everybody on the court,” Avila said. “I tell him I’m two steps slower, because they expect me to be one step slower, so I go a little slower than that.

The players’ builds and playing styles are clearly comparable to one another. Despite not having the best physical attributes, they are adept at making plays with their strong basketball feel.

This season, Josh Schertz, the college coach at Avila, told reporters, “He’s remarkably smart.” “He can get a rebound and lead the break. We can play offense through him. He can step out, shoot 3s. He has an unbelievable basketball IQ.”

It’s not supposed to be possible for big men to pass the way Avila does. He attributes the acquisition of such talent to his father and brother, in addition to the extensive tape study he did with Jokic and Domantas Sabonis throughout the summer.

“Obviously I’m nowhere near as good as Jokic, but to see those little sparks of comparisons is amazing to me.”

Because of his versatility, ability to stretch the floor, and sheer shooting skill, Avila compares himself to a mix of Joker, Sabonis, and Kevin Love. This season, he has dominated at the collegiate level, hitting 43.2 percent of his three-pointers and 56.2 percent of his field goals.

Even with the parallels to the two-time NBA MVP, he maintains a humble view of his own abilities.

Under Schertz, Avila has emerged as the cornerstone of Indiana State’s third-year comeback. Schertz had not yet coached a game at ISU when Avila made its commitment to the Sycamores. At Division II Lincoln Memorial, the veteran coach amassed a formidable résumé, and Avila had faith in Schertz’s vision for Terre Haute.

Despite Avila’s stellar performance at Illinois’ Oak Forest High School, Power 5 universities took their time to show interest in him. Unfazed, Avila believed that if he found the proper fit, he could have an effect at the mid-major level. Schertz felt Avila’s exceptional passing ability would work nicely in his free-flowing style as soon as he watched Avila play.

While it’s a bit dramatic to compare a college sophomore to a former NBA MVP, there are unquestionable parallels between their styles of play. Both players dominate with their skills, and Avila is putting up stats that even Jokic would be proud of.

After ten games, Avila has averaged 16.5 points, 4.2 assists, 6.6 rebounds, and 57.6% field goal, 46.9% three-point range, and 78.3% free throw shooting.

Although Avila is touched by the attention he has received on social media, he views it as unimportant background noise. His future ambition is to play in the NBA, and he is totally focused on that.

He also aims to play for Team Mexico in the future. His father, who is Mexican-American, stated that there has been some movement toward his playing for them.

“If it does come up, I would be 100 percent happy with taking the offer.”

When he finds a good chance, Avila understands how to seize it. Will he continue going by College Jokic?

 

 

FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE-

L.A County DA Not Charging Former Dodgers Julio Urias With Felony