Robbie Avila, Norchad Omier, Dawson Garcia highlight Latinos in college hoops
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Staff Reports, Staff reports
- November 1, 2024
Andersson Garcia, Chad Baker-Mazara have high expectations
St. Louis University’s Robbie Avila, Baylor’s Norchad Omier and Minnesota’s Dawson Garcia enter the 2024-2025 college basketball season with high expectations. The trio of big men were among 50 players named to the Naismith Player of the Year Award watch list.
The trio will try to become the second Latino to win the Naismith Award and the first since Mexican American Mark Aguirre won it in 1980. Robbie Avila earned a viral following and multiple nicknames last season at Indiana State before transferring to SLU this year.
Of the three Latinos on the Naismith Award watch list, Avila may be the most famous in part because of the combination of an impressive game, signature goggles and nicknames.
Robbie Avila, Cream Abdul-Jabbar
The 6-foot-10, 240-pound junior from Oak Forest, Ill., led Indiana State to the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title last season. After Sycamores were snubbed by the NCAA Tournament selection committee, Avila guided them to the NIT championship game.
Fittingly, Avila was named to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award watch list. He averaged 17.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists as a sophomore. Avila also made 61 3-pointers. Because of his goggles and his skills, Avila garnered multiple nicknames linked to star basketball players.
Some called him Cream Abdul Jabbar (Kareem). Others called him Larry Blurred or Larry Nerd after Indiana State legend Larry Bird’s name. Some called him Milk Chamberlain (Wilt).
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Whatever the case, he hit the transfer portal after his coach Josh Schertz left for SLU. He drew plenty of interest before following his coach.
“I think what can get lost in all the hoopla with Robbie is just how elite a player he is,” Schertz said. “The very best thing you can say about a player is that he makes everyone around him better, and Robbie certainly does that.
“He has the type of skill set, intelligence and unselfishness needed to build an offense around. Robbie also has the competitive spirit and is the kind of teammate and leader you can build a program around. We could not be more excited to have Robbie and the entire Avila family as Billikens.”
Final Four experience
Omier, a native of Nicaragua, led Miami to the Final Four in 2023. He also led the Hurricanes in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage last season as a fourth-year junior before transferring to Baylor.
The 6-foot-7 Omier has already guided one team to the Final Four, leading Miami to the national semifinal against eventual 2023 champion UConn. He began last season as the preseason ACC Player of the Year.
Then he averaged 17 points and 9.97 rebounds, including a double-double average in ACC play with 16.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per ACC game. Now, he’ll try to lead Baylor to the Big 12 title and more.
Garcia, a native of Minnesota, began his college career at Marquette. He then transferred to North Carolina before transferring to Minnesota for his junior season last year.
Garcia, a 6-foot-11, 234-pound center is a scoring machine. The preseason All-Big Ten selection had a trio of 30-point games last season. He averaged 17.6 points and 6.7 rebounds. Garcia joins Avila on the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award list.
Platano Power in SEC
A pair of Dominicans are expected to shine in the SEC. Auburn’s Chad Baker-Mazara was on the 2024 SEC All-Tournament Team. The 6-foot-7 Baker-Mazara was named to the Julius Erving Small Forward Award watch list.
Texas A&M’s Andersson Garcia deserved to be either on the Julius Erving Award watch list or the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award watch list.
The 6-foot-7 Garcia is one of the best rebounders in America. He set a Texas A&M single-season rebounding record with 327 last year while earning a spot on the All-SEC Defensive Team.
Andersson Garcia led the SEC in rebounds overall and rebounds in conference play (180). His 156 offensive rebounds were also a school record.
Featured art by Kelly Hagenson/Minnesota Athletics.
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