TCU is about to make one of the strangest transfer portal pickups of the season, and it comes with a roster-limit twist that pushed Robbie Avila out of Saint Louis and into Fort Worth.
CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein reported that the Horned Frogs are on the verge of landing the reigning A-10 Player of the Year after Saint Louis ran into a hard cap issue tied to the House v. NCAA settlement. Avila had just been granted a fifth year of eligibility by a preliminary injunction last week, but the College Sports Commission said the Billikens had no room for him on a 15-man roster.
“Mr. Avila may be eligible to play college basketball this season, but there is no roster slot available for him at Saint Louis University,” the CSC released in a statement.
Saint Louis wasn’t going to remove anyone from its active roster, so Avila is moving on. TCU also has 15 players listed, but one of its walk-ons was a DSA, or designated student-athlete, and those players do not count toward the 15-man limit.
That gives Jamie Dixon the opening to add Avila without running into the same problem. The only real unknown now is when he’ll be cleared to suit up, but the roster cap itself won’t block the move.
For TCU, the fit is obvious. The Horned Frogs have been searching for help at the 5, especially after an injury to Texas Tech transfer shot-blocker Luke Bamgboye.
They also haven’t exactly looked sharp early, needing double overtime to get past Louisiana-Monroe’s upset bid on Tuesday. Avila gives them a very different kind of weapon: a 6-foot-10 stretch big who can pass, dribble and shoot, and who could give the offense a real jolt.
Last season, Avila averaged 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 41% from 3-point range. He’s one of the most recognizable players in college basketball, known by nicknames like Milk Chamberlain, Larry Nerd, Cream Abdul-Jabbar and Rob Wave. He spent the last four seasons tied to Josh Schertz, following him from Indiana State to Saint Louis in 2024.
At SLU, Avila was the face of a team that won a school-record 29 games and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to eventual national champion Michigan. He had believed his college career was finished, but the 5-in-5 litigation opened the door for another year, and the plan had been to keep playing for the Billikens until the roster issue got in the way.
His impact on Saint Louis was easy to see. When Avila was on the floor, the Billikens shot 63% at the rim.
Nearly half of their shots, 45% to be exact, came there because he pulled rim protectors away from the basket and made the right reads as a passer. That same formula should translate to TCU, where Xavier Edmonds can work alongside a stretch 5 who creates space and keeps the ball moving.
There are limitations, too, especially on defense. Avila isn’t going to erase mistakes at the rim or chase everything in space. But TCU may be betting that its best defense is an offense that keeps opponents scrambling and forces them to take the ball out of the net.
The move is a disappointment for Saint Louis, but it doesn’t change the outlook much. The Billikens beat Missouri 90-84 on Friday with Avila on the bench, and Colorado transfer Alon Michaeli looks like a natural replacement at the 5 because of the same pass-dribble-shoot profile Schertz likes to use. The roster still has shooting, wings who can switch, and enough talent to stay near the top of the A-10.
Saint Louis remains one of the league’s best teams and the co-favorite with VCU to win it.
It just has one fewer pair of goggles.
In Other News...
TCUs Undefeated Start Suddenly Comes With A Real Concern
TCU kept its undefeated start intact with a 100-92 double-overtime win over UL Monroe, but the game came with a sharper edge than the record suggests. Micah Robinson delivered a career-high 27 points and helped carry the Horned Frogs through a night that demanded far more than a routine nonconference finish, with the outcome still hanging deep into the second extra period.
Jamie Dixon and several players pointed to the late-game execution that finally separated TCU from a stubborn opponent, and that is where the real concern begins to surface. The Horned Frogs found a way to win, but a game like this also leaves a reminder that the margin for error shrinks quickly once the competition tightens, and TCU will have to clean up the details if it wants the unbeaten run to mean more than just a clean record. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Is Rallying Around Ed Small After A Brutal Moment
TCU spent the days after its loss to Arizona trying to turn the page, but the conversation around the program kept circling back to sophomore wide receiver Ed Small. The critical onside kick recovery error became one of the defining moments of the defeat, yet coach Sonny Dykes and teammates have made clear they are not letting one play define a player they value for much more than a single snap.
As the Horned Frogs prepare for Kansas State, the message inside the building has been about support and response rather than blame. Smalls teammates have rallied around him, pointing to his character and the work he has put in, and TCU now faces the familiar challenge of carrying a difficult moment forward without letting it linger into the next game. [Read more 🡒]
Baylors Season Suddenly Feels Very Different Under Joe Klanderman
With three weeks left in the Big 12 regular season, the league picture is starting to sharpen, and Baylor has quietly become one of the more interesting teams in it. Under interim coach Joe Klanderman, the Bears have won two straight, locked up a bowl berth and suddenly look far more stable than they did a few weeks ago, a notable turn in a conference where Utah is still unbeaten and six Big 12 teams are sitting in the College Football Playoff rankings top 25.
The broader league race has only added to the intrigue, especially with Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker putting together a historic performance that has NFL scouts paying close attention even as his future in Stillwater remains uncertain. For TCU, fresh off a loss to Arizona and bracing for possible changes in the coaching staff or roster, Baylors surge is another reminder of how quickly the balance can shift in the Big 12, and how much can still change before the season is over. [Read more 🡒]