Former Indiana State and Saint Louis forward Robbie Avila is finalizing a deal to play the 2026-27 season at TCU, according to multiple reports.

ESPN reported Avila is heading to Fort Worth, Texas, on Thursday, Nov. 12, with his formal addition to the roster expected in the next 24 hours.

Avila, who was granted a preliminary injunction in Missouri last week to play a fifth season, had his return to Saint Louis blocked by the College Sports Commission due to the Billikens already having 15 players on their roster. Avila had previously followed Saint Louis coach Josh Schertz to Saint Louis from Indiana State.

The 6-foot-10 center better known for his nickname "Cream Abdul-Jabbar" has been one of the most-productive bigs in college basketball the last four seasons. The 2025-26 Atlantic-10 Player of the Year averaged 12.8 points with 4.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game last season after averaging over 17 points per game in 2023-24 and 2024-25 at Indiana State and Saint Louis, respectively.

He's one of many men's college basketball players receiving an extra season of eligibility due to the court system after the NCAA only allowed players from class of 2023 onward to receive five seasons.

Avila scored 12 points with five rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal in Saint Louis' massive 102-77 win over Georgia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season. He scored nine points with five assists in Saint Louis' second-round loss to eventual national champions Michigan.

Avila will likely need some time to ramp up ahead of joining TCU at full force, especially without being current enrolled at the school. He'll provide a boost to a Horned Frogs frontcourt that returns Xavier Edmonds and added transfer DJ Thomas from West Virginia, who are both averaging over 13 points per game this season through three games.