Saint Louis forward Robbie Avila will return for another year of college basketball after St. Louis City Circuit Court Judge Jason Sengheiser granted him a preliminary injunction Thursday. The ruling allows the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year to return for the 2026-27 season, giving the Billikens another reason for optimism ahead of their rivalry matchup against Missouri on Friday.

As part of the decision, Sengheiser also authorized Saint Louis University to carry a 16th roster spot for Avila despite its existing 15-player limit. The arrangement will remain in place until a full trial takes place, which is not expected for several months. Consequently, Avila is expected to be available for the entire season and make his 2026-27 debut versus the Tigers.

The eligibility dispute stems from the NCAA's five-for-five framework, which allows athletes five seasons of competition within a five-year period. The eligibility clock begins when a player turns 19 or graduates from high school, whichever happens first. However, the policy was not designed to cover athletes from the 2022 high school class who had already exhausted their eligibility, prompting several players across different sports to pursue legal action.

Avila is among those who have received favorable rulings. His case also involved his summer experience with the Los Angeles Lakers. The 23-year-old participated in the NBA Summer League and verbally agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the franchise, but never officially signed the agreement or secured a professional contract.

Avila previously spent two seasons at Indiana State under Josh Schertz before following his coach to Saint Louis. He has started 132 of his 137 collegiate appearances, averaging 17.3 points per game during his junior campaign before recording 12.8 points in 2025-26. He also converted 41% of his three-point attempts while taking approximately 4.6 shots from beyond the arc per game last season.

His return holds considerable value for the Billikens coming off a 29-6 campaign that included an Atlantic 10 regular-season championship. Saint Louis earned a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament, defeated Georgia 102-77 in the opening round and subsequently lost to eventual national champion Michigan in the Round of 32. The win over the Bulldogs was the program's first NCAA Tournament win since 2014.

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With Avila returning, the Billikens will have four starters and two additional rotation players from last season's NCAA Tournament team available. He also joins Trey Green and Ishan Sharma as part of a group that combined for 233 three-pointers last season.

However, uncertainty surrounding these eligibility decisions remains. Although judges have sided with athletes in most cases, potential NCAA appeals could change the situation, leaving players' eligibility vulnerable to future rulings.