Michael Malone and North Carolina has landed its first commitment of the transfer portal period , securing dynamic playmaker Neoklis Avdalas .
Avdalas is the No. 3 shooting guard and the No. 20 overall player in 247Sports' transfer portal rankings. He chose the Tar Heels after drawing interest from
Arkansas , Florida State , Kentucky , Michigan , Oklahoma State, St. John's and Texas .
The 6-foot-9 wing averaged 12.1 points, 4.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds while shooting 38.6% from the field and 31.4% from 3-point range last season. His 4.6 assists per game ranked eighth in the conference, and his 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio was 12th.
Before transferring to Virginia Tech, Avdalas was ranked the No. 2 international newcomer in the 2025 class by 247Sports. He also represented Greece at the FIBA Under-20 EuroBasket in Heraklion, Greece.
Avdalas spent two seasons in Greece's top-tier HEBA A1 league, first with AS Karditsas in 2023-24 and then with Peristeri BC in 2024-25. As an 18-year-old playing against established professionals, he averaged 7.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 18.5 minutes over 26 games, shooting 43.6% from the field, 35.7% from 3-point range and 70.3% at the foul line.
Avdalas projects as a strong fit in North Carolina's motion offense, which depends on quick decisions and sharp reads to generate clean looks. His size, playmaking and international experience give the Tar Heels a versatile backcourt option who can grow into a larger role over time.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball: Tar Heels land Virginia Tech wing Neoklis Avdalas
