Evaluating Robbie Avila, Dion Brown, and Jeremiah Wilkinson in the First Round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament

March 20th, 2026

By Alan Lu

Yesterday, I took the time to watch Robbie Avila and Saint Louis take on Kanon Catchings and Georgia in what was anticipated to be a very competitive matchup in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.  Also, I wanted to see this game to see how my alma mater, Saint Louis University, would perform in this tournament, and I was pleased to see that they turned in a fantastic game against Georgia. 

Saint Louis got off to a tremendous start early on and never looked back, and they played really well, as they went on to get a 102-77 win over Georgia.  Here are my thoughts on how some of the top performers and other prospects fared in this game.

Robbie Avila had a strong showing in his team’s win over Georgia.  He is a smart, skilled big man that had a really good game offensively as well as on the glass, and he made a slew of crafty plays to help his team get the victory.

Avila did a great job of passing the basketball.  He would often find cutters to notch assists, and he has good footwork, as he would use spin moves to create separation and openings for himself, which would allow him to drive the lane to either score or find passing angles for his teammates.

He also showed a knack for scoring off the dribble, and he was able to use a smooth spin move to score once.  He also was able to score out of the post early on, and Avila also made a three-pointer to showcase his range.  He also helped out on the boards, and he and his team played quality defense.  Avila would use his length and positioning to stonewall drives and contest shots to force misses and get stops for his team.

Overall, Avila played very well, and Saint Louis looks to be a formidable team in this tournament.  They’ll have quite the test as they will face off against the Michigan Wolverines, but Avila and Saint Louis could make that quite a game, and Avila’s strong all-around play helped Saint Louis get a big win over Georgia.

Dion Brown had a tremendous showing in this game.  He did a great job of scoring on motion plays, as he would score on quick, backdoor cuts and ran the floor to score on fast breaks.  He also can quickly score off the dribble, and he was able to throw down a dunk on a drive to the hoop.

Plus, he also passed the ball well, as he can find teammates on the move, and make passes off the dribble.  Brown also rebounded and defended well.  He would contest shots to force misses and stole a ball away to get a steal.  On one play though, he closed out too hard, which led him to commit a foul on a three-point shot.

Overall, Dion Brown is an athletic, skilled guard that played very well, especially on offense.  His ability to score and make plays on offense makes him a very valuable contributor to the Billikens, and he could end up making it to the NBA.

Jeremiah Wilkinson had a strong performance, as he scored 30 points in his team’s tough loss to Saint Louis.  He is a quick, shifty combo guard that can put up points in a hurry, and he can score in bunches.  Wilkinson did a great job of making threes, as he played with significant poise.  He showed a knack for making threes off the catch and dribble.  He also showed that he can blow past his man to score on quick drives to the hoop.  He didn’t really look to do much else, but Wilkinson showed that he can flat out score the basketball. 

Overall, Wilkinson played very well, and he’s an athletic, combo guard that has strong scoring skills, and his microwave type of scoring skills could allow him to make his way to the NBA someday.

Amari McCottry had a strong showing in his team’s win over Georgia.  He is a mobile, energetic swingman that played well on both ends of the floor.  McCottry showed a knack for scoring on quick cuts to the hoop and on hustle plays, and he also has a crafty pump fake that allowed him to score out of the post.

He also passes the ball well, and he would make timely passes to find open teammates to set up scores for them.  He also rebounded the ball really well, and played solid defense.  McCottry would jump passing lanes to get steals, but sometimes would commit fouls due to over-aggressiveness.

Overall, McCottry played very well in his team’s win over Georgia.  He has proven to be a very valuable contributor to Saint Louis, and he has helped them have a tremendous season so far.

Brady Dunlap also played very well in Saint Louis’ double-digit win over Georgia.  He did a great job of making shots and plays on offense.  He showed a knack for making open, spot-up threes off the catch, and he can certainly run the floor and knock down outside shots in transition.  He also was able to use a jab step move to score off the dribble.

Dunlap is a solid passer that can find teammates on the move to set up scores for them.  On the other hand, he may need to tighten up his handles, as there was one play where he tried to bring the ball up, but dribbled too fast and lost it out of bounds.  Overall, Dunlap is an agile, skilled swingman that excelled at making plays in this game, and he could project to be a 3 and D type of role player in the NBA.

Kellen Thames had a strong showing in his team’s win over Georgia.  Thames did a very good job of scoring the basketball, as he did so in a variety of ways, and he also passed and rebounded well.

Thames showed a knack for scoring on cuts to the hoop, and he showed good scoring touch from around the basket.  He also made an open corner three to help space the floor.  Plus, Thame did a very good job of making passes off the dribble.  He rebounded well and was active defensively, but sometimes he would foul opposing ball-handlers due to over-aggressiveness.

Overall, Thames played well, and he had a solid all-around performance in this game.  He has been one of the best bench players in college basketball, and has been a very reliable contributor for the Billikens this year.

Quentin Jones played fairly well in Saint Louis’ win over Georgia.  He is an athletic guard that was able to make an array of plays on both ends of the floor.  Jones passed the ball very well, and he especially excels at finding teammates quickly to set up scores for them. He was quite active on the glass and he also defended well, as he was able to jump a pass to get a steal.

He was streaky with his jump shot, but he showed a knack for scoring on strong, quick drives to the hoop.  He showed good hang time to score in traffic once, and he also threw down a thunderous dunk another time.  Plus, he also ran in to score on an athletic tip slam once.  Jones also was able to make an open corner three, but he struggled to make threes consistently.  Overall, Jones is a solid combo guard that can do a little bit of everything, and he could be an intriguing role player at the NBA level.

Ishan Sharma also played well for Saint Louis to help them get a win over Georgia.  He showed a fairly solid ability to knock down spot-up threes smoothly off the catch, and Sharma also would score on quick cuts to the basket.  He also managed to score on a tough, double-pump layup on a drive to the hoop.

He also rebounded and defended well.  Sharma would use his positioning to stay in front of his man, stole a ball away from a ball handler, and he also blocked a shot in transition. Overall, Sharma had a solid showing in this game, and he could project into a 3 and D role in the NBA.

Trey Green played fairly well to help Saint Louis get the win over Georgia.  He passed the ball very well, as he was quite effective as a distributor on offense.  He played pesky defense, as he would jump passes and swipe balls away to get steals.  While he was streaky with his jump shot, he showed that he can score on speedy drives, and he also made a deep, step-back three in this game. 

Overall, Green’s ability to run the point and defend, combined with showing decent shotmaking helped him contribute to Saint Louis’ blowout win over Georgia, and Green could carve out a solid playing career in professional basketball.

Paul Otieno played well in limited minutes off the bench in Saint Louis’ win over Georgia.  He is a strong, mobile big man that showed a knack for scoring off of short rolls to the rim, and he can finish through contact to score around the basket. 

He rebounded the ball very well, and he also blocked a shot off the dribble to a teammate to help his team protect the basket.  Overall, Otieno was able to make an impact off the bench, and his ability to make plays as an interior player could enable him to carve out a solid playing career in professional basketball.

Jake Wilkins is the son of NBA Hall of Famer, Dominique Wilkins.  Jake Wilkins didn’t stand out nearly as much, but he did run the floor to score on a high-flying dunk on the break.  On the other hand, he missed a pair of threes, as he’ll still need to improve his jump shot considerably.

He was able to quickly push the ball up the court and find a shooter to set up a scoring chance for his teammate.  On another play, he drove to the hoop, but went in out of control and lost the ball to commit a turnover.

He also showcased some intriguing defensive skills.  Wilkins was able to intercept a pass to get a steal.  He also blocked a three-point shot to himself late in the game.  Overall, Wilkins is an intriguing long-term prospect.  He is a long, rangy athlete that can make hustle plays on both ends of the floor, but he’ll need to improve his jump shot and tighten up his handles.  If he can do so, he could end up being a solid and versatile role player in the NBA.

Kareem Stagg had his ups and downs, but he was able to make some solid plays in his team’s loss to Saint Louis.  He didn’t shoot well from the outside.  But he was able to score on a drive in transition.  He also ran in to score on an athletic tip slam late in the game.

He also passed the ball fairly well, and he was able to find a corner shooter out of the post to notch an assist.  Defensively, he was active, but sometimes would commit fouls due to over-aggressiveness.  Overall, Stagg will need to improve his jump shot and defense, but his length, athleticism, and upside could make him an intriguing long-term prospect for the NBA.

Dylan James is a 6-9 junior forward that was able to make some solid plays off the bench for Georgia in their loss to Saint Louis.  He excelled at scoring on the break, and he even leapt up to catch a lob to score on an athletic, alley-oop dunk.  On the other hand, defensively, he got beat on a spin move once, which led him to commit a foul.  Overall, James is an athletic combo forward that will need to improve his jump shot and defense, but he could be a prospect to keep an eye on moving forward.

Georgia’s 6-9 senior big man, Justin Abson was able to make some plays off the bench in his team’s loss to Saint Louis.  He is a gifted shot blocker that can defend out on the perimeter, and Abson was able to block a three-point shot to showcase his defensive skills.

He also managed to score on a jump hook off the glass when posting up once.  On one play defensively though, he got beat on a spin move and committed a foul that time.  Still, Abson is an athletic, energetic shot blocker that could be a prospect to keep tabs on, especially if he can develop a reliable offensive game.  Otherwise, he could still end up having a solid and lengthy career in professional basketball.

Kanon Catchings had a really tough game in his team’s loss to Saint Louis.  Once a highly touted prospect that was projected to go in the first round heading into college basketball, Catchings has had his ups and downs in his two years there so far.

Against Saint Louis, his play was absolutely terrible.  He could not make a single shot.  He would drive wildly and miss on tough, off-balanced shots.  He took tough, well-contested mid-range jumpers that would lead to misses.  He also missed all of his three-point shots, which is not good, considering his calling card is supposedly as an athletic sharpshooter.  But in this game, Catchings was held scoreless on 0 for 11 shooting.  His playmaking was equally abysmal.  He would frequently drive into traffic and get the ball ripped away to commit turnovers.  He also held the ball and had a ball stolen away from him.

He was a little better on the boards and defensively, but even still, it should be noted that his team still lost by twenty-five. Catchings was able to hustle back to block a shot on the break due to possessing solid length, athleticism, and timing.  He also stole a ball away from an opposing ball handler to get a steal.  On the downside, sometimes he would commit loose ball fouls due to over-aggressiveness.

Overall, Catchings has been inconsistent over the years, and he’s flashed some talent, and disappeared in other games.  He’s still not quite ready for the league, but if he does decide to enter the NBA draft, he could end up either going late second round or undrafted.  He does have the talent to project into a 3 and D role at the NBA level, but he’ll need to be much more consistent to carve out a consistent role in the NBA.

Somto Cyril is another prospect that had some early draft buzz heading into colllege basketball, and like Catchings, he also played in the Overtime Elite league.  In this game, he didn’t make much of an impact at all.  He was held scoreless in limited playing time, despite starting.  He did managed to jump on a loose ball to get a steal, but he was a non-factor on offense, and didn’t grab nearly as many rebounds or blocks as expected.  Overall, Cyril is an athletic, but raw big man that will need to stay in school to polish up his skills, and he is a long-term project player that will need to work on his offensive skills and rebounding in the meantime.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how various players fared in the Saint Louis-Georgia game. Thanks for reading.