Ranking Robbie Avila's nicknames, from 'LeBron Frames' to 'Milk Chamberlain'
· Yahoo Sports
Saint Louis big man Robbie Avila has captured the hearts of many college basketball fans.
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Possessing a throwback style of play, a nontraditional physique and iconic goggles, the Billikens' senior has garnered a cult following throughout his collegiate career.
And now, Avila will be in the crosshairs of Michigan basketball, as the 1-seed Wolverines are set to face 9-seed Saint Louis in a 2026 NCAA Tournament second round matchup in Buffalo on Saturday, March 21 (12:10 p.m., CBS).
While the Billikens have a deep mix of talent to rely on for production, with seven different players averaging at least nine points per game, no one else on Saint Louis' roster has quite the cadre of nicknames that Avila does – from "Cream Abdul-Jabbar" to "Larry Nerd," Avila captures attention every time he takes the floor.
Don't let the monikers fool you, though, Avila can hoop. He averages 12.9 points per game and shoots a strong 41.7% clip from 3-point range.
Here's our ranking of Avila's nicknames:
No. 1: Cream Abdul-Jabbar
Avila told TMZ before the tournament began "Cream Abdul-Jabbar" is his personal favorite, calling it "the most creative nickname I’ve ever heard." Like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Avila plays center, although he's not known to try as many skyhooks as the NBA legend was.
No. 2: Milk Chamberlain
Why stop at just one nickname inspired by an NBA legend? Wilt Chamberlain may have been famous for scoring 100 points in a single game, but Avila was the leading scorer on the 2023-24 Indiana State team that finished 32-7 and made the NIT finals. Take your pick.
No. 3: LeBron Frames
Avila, at 6 feet 10 and 240 pounds, isn't hard to miss on the court to begin with, but if you need another sign to spot him by, college basketball fans love to point out the goggles he wears while playing. The "rec specs" have earned Avila a slew of nicknames, but "LeBron Frames" is a personal favorite here.
No. 4: Larry Nerd
Avila played his first two collegiate seasons at Indiana State before transferring to Saint Louis. Indiana State's most famous hardwood alumnus, Larry Bird, led the Sycamores to the 1979 NCAA Tournament championship game where they fell to Magic Johnson and Michigan State. The "Larry Nerd" nickname, another nod to Avila's goggles, is a neat tie between eras of college basketball.
No. 5: College Jokić
Avila, who's averaged over four assists per game each of the last three seasons, has gotten comparisons to another big man with a nontraditional physique. Although Avila doesn't quite project to be a three-time NBA Most Valuable Player like the Denver Nuggets' Nikola Jokić, there are enough similarities between the two's games to make the "College Jokić" label work.
You can reach Arpan Lobo at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Robbie Avila's best nicknames: Our ranking for Saint Louis star