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Avila, the linchpin of new coach Josh Schertz’s offense, got into a game for the first time with SLU on Friday night at Chaifetz Arena and showed that, yep, he makes a difference. Avila had 12 points and seven rebounds in 17 minutes of action, but what matters more than the numbers is that the 6-9 center should be ready to go on Nov. 4 when SLU’s season opens against Santa Clara.

“It was definitely more fun being on the court than on the bench,� Avila said. “I was just glad to be able to get out there with the team. Obviously nice little win, but we're kind of looking forward to the next one.�

Avila had been out almost four weeks with a sprained ankle suffered in a scrimmage and missed SLU’s first preseason game against Rockhurst. Avila, last season’s Missouri Valley Conference player of the year at Indiana State who is not only a scoring threat inside and outside but also an adept passer, will be the driver of SLU’s attack this season. He is, most definitely, the player SLU can’t do without.

“Just to get some up and down,� Avila said. “Obviously, it's been a while since I played a college basketball game, so it was just fun to be out there. I'm looking forward to this season, and getting with the guys and restarting this whole process again.�

“Having a guy like this is very special,� said guard Kobe Johnson, who had 16 points, “a guy that could pass, just read the game, just make it very easy for everybody on the court.�

“I thought it was a good night,� Schertz said. “Honestly, the sprained ankle didn't change his speed, so he was the same as he was when he got hurt. But it was good to see him out there and hitting bodies. He changes the way we play offensively because of how good he is and how high his usage rate is. And so it was a little bit of him knocking his rust off, but also guys getting used to playing with him, because he does change the dynamics of the offense.�

One of the main things Avila was looking for in hits game was getting the kinks out, something done more easily against a Division II opponent in a game that doesn’t count than doing it against a successful program like Santa Clara.

“I feel like I did,� Avila said. “I got some things to work off, shake the rust off. But I’m just kind of looking forward to the next one. … It just would be illogical if I couldn't play now to be able to just automatically play against a good team like (Santa Clara).�

As for points for improvement, Avila said, “All around. I got to move better. I think my defense, got to pick it up. This is this my first week on the court, so just kind of getting reps back out there, just getting out there and playing my game.�

Avila’s ankle injury had the potential to put a crimp in the start of his season.

“Obviously, it's a little frustrating,� he said. “You never want to miss the beginning of the season. You don't want to miss anything at all. So it took a little bit of mental preparation for me to kind of get right back out there. But during my time off, I was just trying to be more of a coach for the guys, kind of help the guys prepare to play without me for a game, or maybe if it was going to be two games or so, and so just trying to do my part as much as I can. And when I got back on the court, just trying to get back in the groove of things.�

Schertz said even with Avila going only 17 minutes on Friday, with a full week of training between now and the opener, getting his minutes up toward the 31 he averaged last season shouldn’t be a problem.

Having him in practice all the time will help too. Schertz was a bit disappointed with 106 points, saying that a team playing well could have scored 125. Kellen Thames had 17 points, Johnson had 16, Swope and Larry Hughes II each had 11 and Max Pikaar had 10, including the points that put SLU over 100.

In some of the way that SLU was deficient on Friday, Schertz saw more Avila as the remedy.

“He just adds so much to the menu,� Schertz said. “He's such a good passer. One of the things tonight that I saw was, we didn't cut nearly enough or with nearly the level of pace we needed to. And I think part of that has been because we played the last month without him, and the other guys can't make that pass. So, we haven't. Just our habits and cutting aren't as good. We missed so many opportunities to cut and get layups. (Isaiah) Swope did it the first possession. We missed the layup, but the way they were playing us, you could have had a field day because he's such a good passer. He sees over, he can put the ball, he can throw you open. You're not open, but he can throw you open and throw behind cutters and everything else. And it just creates. Like I said, he makes the game simpler for everybody else. And when the game is simpler for everybody else, that allows other guys to be their best and be their most efficient.�

Schertz that guard Josiah Dotzler, a potential starter, has resumed practice and probably would have played Friday if it had been a game that counted. He’s been out with a foot injury.