This story was originally posted Dec. 26, 2023. The Sycamores are ranked for the first time since the Larry Bird era. Get to know them.

TERRE HAUTE — Certain players have the ability to process the game of basketball at hyper speed.

They see the game one or two movements ahead of their opponents. They're able to dictate a game with their mind and skill, as opposed to sheer athleticism. Those intangible qualities, things that don't always show up on the stat sheet are what makes Indiana State sophomore center Robbie Avila great.

It's hard to call someone who is 6-10 and 240 pounds unassuming, but Avila wouldn't be the obvious choice for one of the best mid-major players in the country based solely on looks. He sports the throwback Rec-Spec style goggles on the court. His frame isn't chiseled, and he does most of his work below the rim. But when the game is over, Avila will have contributed to every statistical column.

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"Coach (Josh Schertz) always jokes around with me saying that I'm one step slower than everybody on the court," Avila. "I tell him I'm two steps slower, because they expect me to be one step slower, so I go a little slower than that.

"It's just being able to use my strength and IQ. Obviously, everybody knows I'm not the most athletic guy, but I'm able to use my strengths toward their weaknesses. Being able to exploit that is something we've worked on."

Avila has become the pillar to Indiana State's revival in Year 3 under Schertz. When Avila committed to the Sycamores, Schertz had yet to coach a game at ISU. The longtime coach built an impressive resume at Division II Lincoln Memorial, and Avila trusted the vision Schertz planned to create in Terre Haute.

Avila had a dominant career at Oak Forest High School in Illinois, but Power 5 schools were slow to express interest in him. Undeterred, Avila knew he could make an impact at the mid-major level if he found the right fit. Once Schertz saw Avila play, he knew Avila's elite passing skills would fit well in his free-flowing offense.

"He was the first guy to really buy into, 'they can do something here,' Schertz said. "I really thought when we signed him, I told the staff, he's a guy, you can build an offense around, because I think he's got that type of skill-set. He's also the kind of guy you can build a program around.

"He's just got great leadership qualities, naturally, he's got an extremely high emotional intelligence, he's got great emotional stability. Those are things when you're that good of a player, and you have those qualities, guys tend to fall in line with you."

Avila's passing ability and 3-point shooting form the center position earned him the nickname "The College Jokic." A highlight video of his exploits — the crafty footwork in the post, pinpoint passes and 3s — has gone viral on social media.

Comparing a college sophomore to a former NBA MVP is a bit hyperbolic, but there are definite similarities in their games. Both players use their skill to dominate, and Avila's putting up numbers Jokic himself would be impressed by. Through 10 games, Avila is averaging 16.5 points, 4.2 assists and 6.6 rebounds per game while shooting 57.6% from the field, 46.9% from 3 and 78.3% from the free throw line.

He had a near triple-double against Rice going for 27 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. He tallied at least three assists in eight of 10 games and dished out a team-high seven assists in a nationally televised win over Ball State at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. He followed up that performance by pulling down a season-high 14 rebounds in a win over Tennessee State on Dec. 19.

The 11-1 Sycamores and Avila take their show on the road Saturday to face Michigan State in East Lansing. They'll bring with them the nation's top-ranked offense runs, which runs through its big man.

"Robbie, he's like a bigger guard," junior guard Isaiah Swope said. "He's super knowledgeable, super smart, really intelligent. Sometimes, he sees things that us guards we don't see. And to be honest, you just got to listen (to him).

"He tells you to be somewhere or he's talking and he sees something, you've just got to move and cut around and find the flow with him throughout the game, and he'll make stuff happen."

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Robbie Avila is Indiana State's 'Cream Abdul Jabbar,' 'College Jokic'