Slu could use the old Avila against George Mason

The last two weeks have been rough for St. Louis University Center Robbie Avila, and no one knows better than St. Louis University Center Robbie Avila.

“Obviously, I’ve been underpinning in these last few matches here,” Avila said Monday. “No one is more frustrated with my performance than myself, I can promise it, but of course, in one season, sometimes you go through stretches like this. And then it’s about continuing to do the work and get back on the path to try to play better. “

SLU needs him to get on that path – and fast. Billiken (14-10, 7-4) plays Atlantic 10-leading George Mason (19-5, 10-1) Tuesday at Chaifetz Arena. After recently playing Virginia Commonwealth and Dayton, considered the two toughest teams in the league, SLU now gets the first place in the league, a winner of nine in a row and the best defensive team in the A-10.

The status of the guard Gibson Jimersson is uncertain for SLU. He twisted his ankle early in the second half against St. Joseph’s on Friday and did not return to court. He did not practice on Sunday and was expected to have some time on Monday. He has appeared in 146 consecutive matches for SLU.

“I know his ankle’s beautiful purple,” said SLU coach Josh Schertz, “but if anyone wants to give it a try, it’s him.”

Being without Jimerson, Slu’s leading goal scorer, would be a bad thing, and combined with Avila’s match could create a 1-2 stans for the gut for SLU. Avila has been in single digits of scoring its last three games, which made only 5 out of 21 shots during that time. He has not made a 3-point shot in his last five games and has committed 20 revenue in his last four matches.

Avila said he has not lost his confidence – he took 11 shots against St. Joseph’s – but he has also not seen any progress in getting things sorted.

“Not personal himself, no,” he said. “But I think it’s just about doing the same things that helped you win. I don’t think we can just throw it out and try to start from new. We just have to get back to practice and prepare for the next game as best we might.

“It’s not that (opponents have been) doing different things I have never seen before. It’s just I just haven’t been, I don’t think playing well. I think it happens throughout the season. “

Avila said that the most important thing he makes is to see ties, most of themselves, but also by some NBA -Store, such as Nikola Jokic from Denver Nuggets, to see how they handle certain situations that he finds himself in.

“Trying to see the game that I don’t see right now in real time,” he said. “I’ve seen movies with coach Schertz, I watched movies with (assistant coach Zak Boisvert) and all the other coaches who tried to look at things. What some NBA players do when they go against doubling and switching to see how I can attack it.

“I think it’s just me personally to be able to see the game a little better and understand if the team will double me or whether it will be just one on one and just change. I think it’s personally for me. And then we just want to keep going to work. “

“I have to find ways to get him in better places,” Schertz said. “When a guy fights, there is always a collapse of the circumstances. It’s not a thing with Rob: I think simplifying things about where he gets the ball, we have to do a better job. His team has to do a better job of getting the ball on the stains. I have to do a better job of getting him on these spots. He has to do a better job when he has the ball to finish acting on these spots. I thought St. Joe’s, frankly, he got pretty good look. He got 11 shots. He got seven free kicks. He has to convert better. A few play there late against Dayton, he was aggressive. He has to convert better. But it’s on all of us. “

There is one thing that Schertz doesn’t think is a problem: that A-10 is too hard for Avila. Both coach and player agree that the league is more physical than the Missouri Valley conference he played in the last two seasons in the Indiana State, but it is not something he can’t do.

“It’s such a mute prerequisite,” Schertz said, “because you look back on as St. Joe’s, the first game he had 21 (points) and 11 (rebounds) against them. Then he became less athletic since then, or did they become more athletic? He was an average of 18 points in the first eight conference games. So is it like ‘Space Jam’ where they lose their powers?

“The reality is that he has to be better. But there are a number of things that need to happen and it starts with me. … I have to place him in these positions, and then once he has got the ball in these positions, he needs to be stronger, more powerful to end acting around the edge, and he is very capable of doing so.

“This is not fun to go through, but these are really good for you in the long term. As if there are some things people do. They put guards on him and change where he has to tighten his handles because he is protected by small, not centers. He has not seen a center forever. He has to make his release faster.

“Haven’t seen coverage forever. He has seen switches. … some of these things that he has to do will be really advantageous in the long term. He has to continue to develop. So I think in the long term, it will be good for him. But no matter what regression, friction, no matter what it is, he has to work through it, but we all have to do our respective parts. “