Virginia Tech hopes that giving the keys to Neoklis Avdalas will unlock the offense

Every year in the NBA Draft, we see numerous international prospects who excel overseas and transition directly to the pros. However, there are also some with pro potential who opt to play college basketball to raise their respective stock. One of the more notable moves was Neoklis Avdalas, a 6’8 guard who had some buzz as a second-round pick but opted to forego the draft for college.

His CBB choice was Virginia Tech, a program that struggled this past season after losing significant individual talent in the offseason. While they did get solid production from the frontcourt pieces, including leading scorer and rebounder Toibu Lawal, the backcourt had collectively struggled, with no one averaging more than 2.8 assists per game. 

That’s where Avdalas hopefully comes in. The frontcourt should be fine again with Lawal back and the addition of West Virginia forward Amani Hansberry. Guards Jaden Schutt and Ben Hammond are the key returning pieces in the backcourt, joined by transfers Izaiah Pasha and Jalen Bedford. 

Yet this core’s ceiling probably isn’t enough to be a postseason contender. Avdalas, a playmaking guard who can handle the ball, could be what puts the Hokies in contention. This Summer, he’s playing for the Greece U20 National Team, where he’s been an early standout. 

The stats look good, but what’s most noticeable is that he’s the ball-handler for them and looking good doing it. If he becomes the starting PG instead of Hammond, that could be huge for the Hokies. That’s, of course, assuming that his game translates well to the CBB level. 

There are plenty of quality players who come from Europe with high expectations and struggle once they come to the states. Will that be the fate of Avdalas? Virginia Tech certainly hopes not, as their 2026 postseason fate may come down to how big of an impact he has.