It was a season for the ages, even if it ended too early. The 2025-26 Saint Louis Billikens end their season at 29-6 after losing to Michigan 95-72 in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. Facing off against Josh Schertz’s good friend Dusty May, the Billikens put up a valiant effort, drawing as close as four in the second half before the massive front court of Aday Mara, Yaxel Lendeborg, and Morez Johnson Jr. wore the Billikens down and ran away with the victory.
It’s cliche to say a game was closer than the score, but SLU held pace with Michigan for the first 30 minutes of the game, and truly gave a valiant effort. Going into halftime down 9, SLU came out of the second half strong, cutting the lead down to 4 on an Avila three pointer with 15:50 to go in the second half.
I thought we had a real chance to win the thing (there),” said Schertz.
However, soon after, Yaxel Lendeborg threw down a massive poster on Quentin Jones, and followed it up with a three pointer. That sequence was all Michigan needed to pull away. In the end, SLU didn’t hit enough shots, only shooting 31% from deep and 53% from the line. That’s not going to get it done against one of the best teams in the country. On the bright side, Kellen Thames delivered one of the most memorable Billiken highlights of all time, with a massive poster dunk on 7’3’’ behemoth Mara.
The loss closes the book on one of the greatest SLU seasons of all time.
““We’re only 23 months from being 14th in the A10 to one of the 32 last teams standing,” said Schertz.
SLU set a record for most wins in a season with 29, made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019, and won its first NCAA Tournament game since 2014. It didn’t only win a game, it absolutely demolished a talented SEC team in 8-seed Georgia. Even better, the future looks bright as Josh Schertz agreed to a contract extension and the Billikens are set to have significantly improved resources this offseason. In two years at the helm of Saint Louis University, Josh Schertz has resurrected the program and positioned them to be a force in the A-10 and on the national stage for years to come.
Schertz talked repeatedly this year about how he wanted to make sure he gave Robbie Avila the end of his college career he deserved. While SLU only made it to the second round, Avila made his mark on the country, going viral with his goggles, nickname and his smooth playmaking. SLU showed the nation what it was all about in its blowout of Georgia, shellacking the Bulldogs 102-77 and Avila gracing content creators with a smooth 12 points and 5 assists that made for a highly entertaining highlight reel to react to.
Avila has delivered on everything SLU fans hoped for when he arrived at SLU. On the court, he’s been the linchpin of Schertz’s vaunted offense, dropping dimes and nailing threes with his signature style. It’s been a true pleasure to watch such a unique and incredible player with his basketball IQ. However, Robbie has been even better for SLU off-the-court. It feels like hardly a home game goes by without seeing a tweet or story about an awesome interaction Robbie has had with a fan, particularly kids. In a year where SLU took the city by storm, Robbie was a perfect representative. In his 2 years at SLU, Avila cemented himself as a Billiken legend and the Chicago native will forever be beloved in St. Louis for the rest of his life.
A bummer about the transfer portal is that sometimes you don’t get enough time with players who are incredible fits at a school. That is the case with seniors Dion Brown and Paul Otieno. Both only were at SLU for one year, but they quickly made themselves integral parts of the team and community. Otieno was a valuable post presence and an elite teammate. Brown’s hustle, flair and grit quickly endeared himself to SLU fans as he bounced back from a down year at Boston College to become one of the engines of this SLU team. It feels wrong that they played their last game in a SLU uniform.
This season is why SLU hired Josh Schertz. The Billikens didn’t just win games, they energized the fanbase and the city with an explosive style of play. Josh Schertz didn’t just recruit great players, he recruited great people who embraced the university and the city and have been great ambassadors here. This season absolutely delivered on the promise that SLU showed last season, and SLU will continue to build further.
Trey Green and Amari McCottry made early indications that they plan to return after the game, and Ishan Sharma is reportedly likely to stay as well. It’s entirely possible SLU retains its entire core with the exception of Avila, Brown and Otieno, who are all out of eligibility. Combine that with a reported increase in NIL and the Billikens are set up very well for the future. This season isn’t the pinnacle, it’s just one stop up the mountain and Josh Schertz and the Saint Louis Billikens have further to climb.