All articles tagged with #saint louis billikens
Undrafted Lakers center Robbie Avila is weighing a potential fifth year of college eligibility in 2026-27 after a Colorado federal court ruled that Class of ’22 athletes can use a fifth season, with a transfer window Aug. 3-10. Avila, who played for Saint Louis and appeared in Lakers Summer League, could pursue college basketball despite his training camp contract with the Lakers.
No. 1 seed Michigan heads to Buffalo to face No. 9 Saint Louis in a Second Round matchup after routing Howard. Saint Louis enters with elite 3-point shooting (40.2% by the article) and a tempo around 71.2, offering a test with perimeter firepower and dribble-hand-off actions. Michigan’s expected edge comes from a stronger frontcourt and transition game, but the Wolverines must guard shooters and avoid turnovers to advance; tip is Saturday at 12:10 p.m. ET on CBS.
Michigan topped Saint Louis 95-72 in the NCAA Tournament second round at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, advancing to the Sweet 16. Yaxel Lendeborg poured in 25 points to lead Michigan, with Aday Mara adding 16 and Morez Johnson Jr. 15; Amari McCottry led SLU with 14 points. Michigan’s size and defense limited Saint Louis’s outside shooting, pulling away in the second half and setting up a Chicago-area showdown against the Texas Tech–Alabama winner.
Saint Louis’s Robbie Avila, nicknamed Cream Abdul-Jabbar, is the Billikens’ cerebral engine and go-to decision-maker as they prepare for a marquee NCAA showdown with Michigan, a rise built on his high-IQ play and leadership despite a nagging foot injury.
Michigan enters as a 12.5-point favorite over 9-seed Saint Louis in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 after a 101-80 win over Howard; Saint Louis earned a 102-77 win vs. Georgia. The preview centers on Michigan’s size and interior presence vs. Saint Louis’ Avila, predicts Michigan will win the paint battle, force turnovers with their length, and move on to the Sweet 16.
Georgia fell behind early and never recovered, losing 102-77 to Saint Louis in the NCAA tournament first round. After trailing 27-18, Saint Louis opened the second half with an 18-0 run to pull away. Jeremiah Wilkinson scored 30 for Georgia, while Kanon Catchings went scoreless on 11 attempts; Saint Louis out-rebounded 47-36 and dominated the paint with 66 points. Georgia finishes 22-11 and, like last year, exits without an NCAA win.
In a fast-paced NCAA Tournament matchup in Buffalo, Georgia is favored slightly over Saint Louis, with the key bet on the Over 169.5 as pace should dominate; the piece also highlights a same-game parlay featuring Robbie Avila’s over 3.5 assists and other supporting scoring bets from both teams.
Defector's Lauren Theisen argues the Saint Louis Billikens are a compelling March Madness pick, noting a season that started 24-1, a 3-3 finish, and two exciting Atlantic 10 tournament wins as they chase their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019.
Saint Louis defeated Virginia Commonwealth 88-75 after a late buzzer-beater attempt by VCU's Nyk Lewis prompted a benches-clearing scuffle when SLU's Robbie Avila shoved him; officials disqualified nearly every bench player from both teams, along with Quentin Jones and Barry Evans, but no punches were thrown and the confrontation ended with SLU holding on to the win.