Cream Abdul-Jabbar Leads Sycamores in NIT Semifinal

Robbie Avila, aka Cream Abdul-Jabbar, will lead Indiana State tonight against Utah in the first of two NIT semifinals. If you hever seen Avila play, you’ll know right away why he was given the Cream Abdul-Jabbar nickname. He’s the big man that makes the Sycamores offense go. Indiana State is one of the top-scoring teams in the country, averaging 84.6 points per game. That is 10th in the country.

Cream Abdul-Jabbar leads the Sycamores with 17.3 points per game average. He is the team’s second-leading rebounder (6.5 rpg) behind 6-8 guard Jayson Kent. Kent and Avila are two of the five Indiana State starters that average in double figures. If you’ve never seen Avila, once you do you’ll understand the Cream Abdul-Jabbar reference.

The Rise of Cream Abdul-Jabbar

Avila starred in high school at Oak Forest HS in Illinois. He had a limited number of Division I scholarship offers, all from mid-major schools. He chose Indiana State and made the All-Missouri Valley Conference team as a freshman after averaging 10.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. 

After missing the first two games of this season, Avila took off. The 6-foot-10-inch forward scored 22 points in ISU’s comeback win over Cincinnati in the NIT quarterfinals. Avila wears protective goggles when he plays which, combined with his size, has made him an easy target for some awesome nicknames. 

Avila plays similarly to two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. That earned him the title “College Jokic.” It was Kentucky talk radio host Matt Jones that coined the “Cream Abdul-Jabbar” nickname. Avila has also been called “Larry Nerd” and “Larry Blurred” which both pay homage to Indiana State’s greatest player ever, Larry Bird.

Whatever nickname you call him, Cream Abdul-Jabbar is one heckuva basketball player. He will lead the Sycamores tonight as they try to make the NIT Final. That would be fitting, since the team was snubbed by the NCAA tournament after losing in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.

Another Day at the Office

It was just business as usual at the Sports Hub HQ yesterday. Our Top 3 handicappers put 48 picks in the system and collected a whopping $2310! SWJ Sports, Knup Sports, and Sas Insider absolutely crushed the books yesterday, winning at least 10 picks each. 

Speaking of winners, the Top 40 cappers in our database put at least one pick in the system yesterday and won at least $100. If you can handle that, then you should be a member of Sports Hub…if you’re not already.

Let’s look at yesterday’s performances.

• He’s no Cream Abdul-Jabbar: While he is not Cream Abdul-Jabbar, Scott is one of our best Sports Hub handicappers. He is exclusive to SportsHub and he was on point last night. Scott went 12-3 – 12-2 on MLB picks – and added $1025 in profits to his bankroll.
• Knup loves hockey: Right behind SWJ Sports was our friends at Knup Sports. Knup went 13-6 yesterday, mostly on NHL picks. The total haul for the day was $671. Knup is our 7-day hockey picks leader with $1115 earned over the last week.
• The Insider is back: Sas Insider put up another solid day, going 10-4 and earning $614 for the bankroll. The Insider went 5-2 on seven MLB picks.
• Sean likes hockey too: Sean Kuchman went 6-2, all on NHL picks, and added $385 in profits. 
• Super Mario: Mario Deluca is another of our exclusive Sports Hub handicappers. Mario went 3-0 yesterday – 2-0 on MLB picks – and won $300. Sports Investors also went 3-0 and picked up $300 yesterday.

Women’s Final Four Set, MLB Gets a No-No

Iowa is headed back to the women’s Final Four after a big win last night. UConn also punched it’s ticket to another Final Four with a win last night. With the Huskies advancing last night, it’s interesting to note that both UConn and NC State will play in the men’s and women’s Final Fours.

The Houston Astros got swept by the New York Yankees in their opening series of the season. That’s okay. They got their first win last night on a no-hitter by an unexpected starting pitcher.

Read on to see what’s trending.

• Iowa returns to NCAAW Final Four: Caitlin Clark scored 41 points, had 12 assists, and grabbed seven rebounds as Iowa won a rematch with LSU 94-87 and advanced to the Final Four. The Tigers were last year’s national champion, beating the Hawkeyes in the title game.
• UConn women in Final: Paige Bueckers had 28 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocked shots as the UConn women beat No. 1 seed USC and advanced to the Final Four. The Huskies lost six players to injury this season. Bueckers returned after missing all of last season with a knee injury. She was the 2021 national player of the year. This will be the 23rd trip for the UConn women to the Final Four.

• Astros’ Blanco throws no-hitter: Ronel Blanco made his eighth career MLB start last night. It was a beauty. Blanco threw 105 pitches, struck out seven, and walked just two as he tossed 2024’s first no-hitter of the season. It was the 17th no-hitter in Astros franchise history and the first in the majors since the Phillies Michael Lorenzen threw one against Washingon on Aug. 9 of last year.
• Yankees run: The New York Yankees are off to a 5-0 start this season. The last time they did that was 1992. Before Yankees fans get all excited, in ‘92 the Yankees ended up 76-86 and in fourth place in the AL East. 

Cream Abdul-Jabbar Highlights Tonight’s Schedule

If you have yet to see Robbie Avila, aka Cream Abdul-Jabbar, play for Indiana State this season, take some time to watch him tonight. Indiana State will take on Utah in the first of two NIT semifinals tonight.

There is also plenty of other action today, including some quality NBA games as the season winds down. The NHL regular season is nearing its end too and there is a full slate of early season MLB.

What will you bet on tonight?

1. TNT doubleheader: It’s crunch time in the NBA and TNT has a doubleheader featuring four playoff-bound teams. Oklahoma City plays at Philadelphia in the early game. Luka Doncic and Dallas, winners of seven straight, travel to San Francisco and will take on the Golden State Warriors. These are two of the nine games on the NBA schedule tonight. Check our picks database for the best NBA picks in the business.
2. Eight games on the ice: The NHL has eight games on the schedule tonight. With the season winding down, Dallas, which has won seven straight games, is off tonight. 
3. Full slate of MLB games: It’s Tuesday in MLB and that typically means everyone plays. There are 14 games tonight, including two games that will be broadcast by TBS. Cincinnati is at Philadelphia beginning at 6:40 p.m. ET. The late game is the NL West rivalry known as the Giants versus the Dodgers. First pitch is at 10:10 p.m. ET.
4. NIT semifinals: Utah will face Indiana State in the first NIT semifinal tonight. Cream Abdul-Jabbar will go up against the Utes huge lineup. Cream Abdul-Jabbar and the Sycamores are a 3.5-point favorite. Georgia plays Seton Hall in the other NIT semifinal.

5. Soccer: It’s the rare weekday that features five English Premier League matches. There are two CONCACAF Champions Cup matches, each featuring teams from MLS. Both games are in the US, one in Columbus and the other at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
6. Tennis: First round play continues on the ATP Tour today in the Fayiz Sarofim & Co. US Men’s Clay Court Championships, the Millenium Estoril Open, and the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakesh. The women continue in their three separate WTA Tour events. It’s first round play in the Charleston Open, the Copa Colsanitas, and the Open Internacional Femini Solgirones.

Watch Cream Abdul-Jabbar Tonight

Do yourself a favor tonight. Watch the NIT semifinals and Cream Abdul-Jabbar. It’s not all about Robbie Avila, the new Cream Abdul-Jabbar. It’s about an Indiana State team that moves the basketball like no other college team you have ever seen. 

All five starters average in double figures and the Sycamores rank sixth in the nation in scoring. ISU averages 84.5 points per game. In the NIT, they’re even better, scoring 87.3 a game. Check out all of our NIT picks in the database. Watch Cream Abdul-Jabbar and pick up some wins!