Analyzing Adama Bal, Robbie Avila, and Christoph Tilly in the Santa Clara-Saint Louis Game

November 6th, 2024

Recently, Santa Clara’s swingman Adama Bal and Saint Louis’ center Robbie Avila squared off against each other in the college basketball season opener that was held on November 4th, and I was able to see this game, with thanks to YouTube via The Field of 68: After Dark. It was a very close game, but Adama Bal played really well throughout, and he and his teammates played well down the stretch to lead Santa Clara to a close win over Saint Louis. Robbie Avila overcame a slow start to turn in a solid second half, but he went down to a sprained ankle injury that could cause him to miss game action over the next few weeks. Here are my thoughts on how Bal and Avila played in this game, as well as how they may currently stack up as prospects for the NBA.

Adama Bal scored 24 points, made 3 three pointers, and had 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals to lead Santa Clara to a 85-78 win over Saint Louis on November 4th. (Photo: Kyle Terada/USA Today Sports, via Last Word On Sports)

Santa Clara’s 6-7 swingman, Adama Bal had a strong showing to help lead his team to a close win over Saint Louis. He especially thrived as a shooter and scorer on offense, and he excelled as a shot creator in this game. Bal shot the ball very well, especially from downtown. He showed a knack for making threes both off the catch and dribble, and he also has a lot of range on his shot. He also showed a solid ability to score off the dribble. He did a great job of getting to the hoop to score, and he showed good body control, balance, and finishing ability to score in traffic. He also was able to use a Euro-step move to his left to score on a smooth drive in transition.

Also, he showcased satisfactory playmaking skills. Bal has solid court vision, and he would make swift drive and kick passes to find open shooters to notch assists. On one play though, he seemed to rush a pass that led to a team turnover. In addition, he also was able to haul in his fair share of rebounds. Defensively, he looked to be fairly average. For the positives, Bal was able to intercept a pass to get a steal, and he also was able to contest threes to force some misses. On the downside, he would sometimes take bad angles and gambles when defending opponents off the dribble, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.

In general, Bal played very well to help lead his team to an early season win over Saint Louis. He turned in a strong performance, and he is an underrated prospect that would be a solid pick in the late first to the second round range, as he could end up being a solid, versatile role player similar to former Toronto Raptors’ swingman, Morris Peterson in the NBA.

Robbie Avila scored 16 points, and had 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal, and he also made a three-pointers, but he also left the game with a sprained right ankle late in the second half, and he is expected to miss a few weeks as a result. (Photo: Bill Barrett/St. Louis University, via St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

Saint Louis’ new 6-10 center, Robbie Avila had a fairly solid showing in his team’s loss to Santa Clara. He showed some of his trademark passing skills and court vision, and he also was able to get some crafty scores on the offensive end. That said, he struggled with some early turnovers due to his overt willingness to make risky passes, which poses as a risk and reward style, and he and his team also had some defensive struggles in this game.

Avila showed a solid ability to score off the dribble as well as out of the post. He showed that he can finish plays using either hand, and he has good scoring touch that seems to extends reliably out to the mid-range. He also would’ve made a turnaround mid-range jumper, except he drew a non-shooting foul when dribbling to the hoop once.

Also, he generally excelled at scoring on hustle plays. Avila was able to score on a roll and on a put back. Plus, Avila was able to make an open spot-up three off the catch. On the downside, he struggled to make open threes consistently, but it is encouraging that he is willing to take them from out there.

He also showcased satisfactory playmaking skills. Avila is a crafty playmaker that can find cutters and make passes off the dribble to notch assists, and he can find teammates on the move in tight windows. However, he tended to try a lot of risky passes that led to passing turnovers, as some would go out of bounds, and others would get intercepted.

In this game, Avila was able to leap up to get his fair share of boards, as he was able to haul in rebounds on both ends of the floor. On one play though, he didn’t track a defensive rebound very well, which led him to foul an opponent on a put back attempt. Defensively, he looked to be perhaps above average. For the positives, he is at his best when he can contest and challenge shots in the paint due to his length, size, and positioning. He has a big wide frame that allows him to contest shots around the basket, and Avila was able to rotate to block a shot off the dribble out of bounds. He also will get his hands on passes and poke balls away to help his team get steals and deflections. He also was able to contest some three-point shots to force misses, and he also successfully drew a charge another time. However, sometimes he would get caught ball watching and not always make timely rotations, which would lead his team to commit fouls and allow scores. He would also tend to give up too much space to shooters on the defensive end.

In summary, Robbie Avila had a satisfactory showing, even if he got off to a slow start early on. He’ll need to cut down on the turnovers and be a more consistent outside shooter and defender, but his scoring ability and passing skills could enable him to be a serviceable role player in the NBA.

Christoph Tilly quietly played well to help lead Santa Clara to a win over Saint Louis. The seven foot, German center is a mobile big man that thrived as a scorer from all over the floor. He shot the ball very well from deep, as he was able to make a couple of open, spot-up threes off the catch. He also showed a knack for scoring out of the post, as well as off the dribble. He has solid footwork and shooting touch that would enable him to score consistently from the post, and he also was able to get a running start to score on a two-handed dunk on the baseline off the dribble. Plus, he also showed a knack for drawing free throws when he would get the ball on the move.

On the downside, he was quite turnover prone on offense. He would sometimes make careless mistakes when posting up, which would lead to ball-handling turnovers. He slipped and fell to commit a traveling violation once, and he also got a ball poked away another time. Other times, he would be prone to setting moving screens on offense.

Tilly did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. He has a keen nose for the ball, and he was able to get plenty of boards on both ends of the floor. Defensively, he looked to be perhaps above average. For the positives, he was able to rotate to block a shot off the dribble to himself. He also would contest shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to force misses, and he also dove for a loose ball on the ground early on. On the downside, he would tend to give up too much space to shooters, which would lead him to allow opponents to score on deep threes. Other times, he would occasionally struggle to defend opponents off the dribble.

Overall, Christoph Tilly is a tall, mobile big man that has solid scoring skills, and his ability to knock down outside shots and make plays on both ends of the floor could make him an underrated prospect for the NBA, as he could project to be a solid rotational big man at that level.

Saint Louis’ 6-6 forward, Kellen Thames had a solid showing in his team’s tough loss to Santa Clara. He is an athletic swingman that excelled as a shooter and hustle player, and he made a noticeable impact, especially early on. Thames showed a knack for making open, spot-up threes off the catch. He also excelled at scoring on hustle plays. He was able to set a solid off-ball screen, get the ball on a back cut and score on an emphatic, two-handed dunk. Plus, he also managed to score on a put back off of an offensive rebound. He also showed a solid ability to score off the dribble. Thames was able to score on an acrobatic layup smoothly in traffic.

He also showcased satisfactory playmaking skills. He showed that he can make drive and kick passes to find open shooters, and he also handles the ball well. He also was able to set an off-ball screen to help get himself open on a back cut. On one play though, he threw an inaccurate high pass that was dropped out of bounds.

Also, he did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. He was able to haul in boards on both ends of the floor, and he would often leap up to get defensive boards. He also played adequate defense. He would jump on loose balls to help his team get steals, and he would get his hands on passes to get steals and deflections. He also was able to contest shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to force misses. On the downside, he would tend to over-help in the paint and be late to rotate back to his man, which would lead him to allow opponents to score on open jump shots. Sometimes, he would give shooters too much space, but another time, he closed out too aggressively which led him to commit a foul on a three-point shooter.

Overall, Kellen Thames played very well, and he had a solid all-around game, as he especially excelled as a scorer. He’s the son of former Mizzou star forward, Kelly Thames, and Kellen Thames is an underrated prospect that could project into a 3 and D role in the NBA.

6-7 Canadian forward, Elijah Mahi also had a solid showing to help Santa Clara get a close win over Saint Louis. He is an athletic, skilled forward that had a solid all-around game, and he also showcased versatile scoring skills. Mahi shot the ball very well from the outside, as he would make threes both off the catch and dribble. He also excelled at scoring on hustle plays. Mahi has a solid motor, and he was able to score on a drive in transition as well as on a put back off his own miss. On the downside, he would sometimes take tough shots when looking to score out of the post, which led to some misses.

He also showcased adequate playmaking skills. Mahi was able to make some drive and kick passes, and he would make the extra pass to find the open man. On the downside, there was one play where he committed a charging foul when driving to the hoop in transition, and he would sometimes struggle to handle the ball when facing significant pressure.

Though he didn’t get many boards in this game, Mahi was able to get a rebound on each end of the floor. He also played adequate defense. Mahi would often intercept passes to get steals, and he was able to contest shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to force misses. Sometimes though, he would take bad angles when defending opponents off the dribble, and he would have lapses that would lead his team to allow open baskets to their opponents.

Overall, Mahi played well in his team’s win over Saint Louis. He primarily excelled as a shooter and scorer in this game, and he is an athletic, skilled forward that could project into a 3 and D role at the NBA level.

Tyeree Bryan is a 6-5 senior guard that played well for Santa Clara in this game. He is a mobile, sharpshooting guard that primarily excelled as a three-point shooter in this game. He showed a knack for making open, spot-up threes, especially from the corners. He also showed that he can make drive and kick passes. On one play though, he mishandled the ball before throwing a pass that got intercepted. Overall though, Bryan shot the ball very well, and his jump shot could enable him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA in the future.

Camaron Tongue quietly had a solid showing to help Santa Clara get the win in this game. He has versatile scoring skills, as he can make shots out of the post, off the dribble, and he also made a spot-up three from deep. He also rebounded the ball very well. He also played adequate defense. He was able to block a shot off of a drive to himself, and he also deflected a pass another time. Sometimes though, he would struggle to defend quicker players, which would lead him to be out of position.

Overall, Tongue is a strong, mobile forward that especially thrived as a scorer and rebounder when he was on the floor. He’ll need to continue to work on his outside shot and defense, but his ability to make shots and rebound could enable him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA someday.

Saint Louis’ 6-5 senior guard, Gibson Jimerson had a decent showing in his team’s loss to Santa Clara. He shot the ball very well from beyond the arc, as he showed that he can make threes both off the catch and dribble. He was a bit streaky with his shot early on, but he excelled as an outside shooter in the second half. While he didn’t take many two-pointers, he also was able to score on a quick cut, as well as on on an aggressive drive in transition off the glass.

He also will sometimes make the extra pass to quickly find the open man. On the downside, he was quite turnover prone on offense, which were usually the result of carelessness. Though he didn’t grab many rebounds, he was able to haul in boards on both ends of the floor. He also played decent defense in this game. He is an aggressive defender that would look to stay in front of opposing ball handlers, and he would contest shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to force misses. On the downside, sometimes he would get outmuscled when defending opponents off the dribble to allow scores.

Overall, Jimerson played fairly well, as he shot the ball well, especially in the second half. He tended to commit careless turnovers at times, but he defended better than expected. He’s a skilled swingman whose jump shooting and team play could enable him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA in the future.

Isaiah Swope also had a decent showing in his team’s tough loss to Santa Clara. He is an agile, 5-10 scoring point guard that shot the ball very well from deep, especially in the second half. He showed a knack for making threes both off the catch and dribble, and he was able to make both step-back threes and pull-up threes from well beyond the arc. He also is a crafty scorer that can maneuver around to score off the dribble. However, he sometimes struggled against length and athleticism, which would lead to misses in traffic.

He also showcased solid playmaking skills. He is a quick guard that was able to make an assortment of passes to set up plenty of scoring chances for his teammates. However, sometimes he would be careless when handling the ball, which led to some ball-handling turnovers. Though he didn’t grab many rebounds in this game, he was able to get a pair of defensive boards for his team. He also defended well. Swope was able to hustle to poke a ball away to get a steal, and he also successfully drew a charge when defending an opposing ball handler. He also would get his hands on balls to help his team get steals and deflections, and he would contest threes to force misses. On the downside, his lack of size would sometimes make it difficult to successfully challenge shots of taller opponents.

Overall, Swope played fairly well in his team’s loss to Santa Clara. He excelled on the offensive end, but he also took a lot of shots, and he was at times inconsistent in making an impact on the floor. He’ll need to show that he can consistently guard upper-echelon opponents at higher levels. Still, he is an agile, score-first point guard that could end up competing for a roster spot in the NBA.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how Bal, Avila, and other various prospects fared in this game. Thanks for reading.