Ex-Lakers rookie returns to college after absurd NCAA eligibility loophole

Robbie Avila’s last time playing in a basketball game was for the Lakers’ summer league squad.The next game he’ll play will be a college contest.Stu Durando reported on Thursday that Avila (better known as “Cream Abdul-Jabbar” because of the glasses he wears on the court) was granted a preliminary injunction, thus allowing him to play for Saint Louis in his fifth year of eligibility after graduating from the school earlier this year.As a result, Avila is expected to play in the Billikens’ game against Missouri on Friday night.This is the byproduct of a U.S.

District Court judge in Colorado granting a class-wide preliminary injunction that makes the NCAA declare eligible all high school Class of 2022 athletes who ran out of eligibility this spring.When this news broke in August, it seemed like Avila would have to decide whether to pursue returning to college or remaining with the Lakers.But that decision became easy once Los Angeles waived him before the regular season began.The injunction made it so players couldn’t transfer to another school if they were granted eligibility to return to college, which means Avila — 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game with the Billikens during his senior season — had to return to Saint Louis, where he spent the past two seasons, if he wanted to go back to school.

And he clearly did....