Some decisions come as a surprise when it comes to the Transfer Portal, and then there are some that don't. This one for the Virginia Tech men's basketball team will be considered one that isn't surprising.
When head coach Mike Young landed a commitment from freshman Neoklis Avdalas last year before he went through the NBA Draft process, he was seen as one of the top recruits to land in Blacksburg in men's basketball. He ended up drawing and kept his verbal commitment to the Hokies and signed.
He was seen at one point as a lottery pick, but his stock fell and fell hard this season at Virginia Tech. Instead of heading to the NBA Draft this June or returning overseas to continue his career, he is reportedly hitting the Transfer Portal and seeking a new home for 2026-27.
Virginia Tech guard Neoklis Avdalas will enter the Transfer Portal
On Friday morning, according to Joe Tipton of On3, Avdalas is going to enter the portal after just one season with Young and the Hokies. This is far from a surprise for anyone who has paid attention this year. He began the year looking like an NBA Draft pick, but ended it sitting on the bench for the final 12 minutes of Tech's overtime loss to Wake Forest in the first round of the ACC Tournament.
Avdalas averaged 12.1 points and 4.6 assists a game this past season. His shooting struggled at times, and it became clear that once teams got more film on him, they guarded him differently, and things changed. The writing was on the wall at the ACC Tournament that there was going to be a split with Avdalas and Virginia Tech. He clearly isn't ready for the NBA, and the Transfer Portal was the most logical option.
The fit was good on paper, but once things got going on the court, it was clear that it wasn't going to work. It'll be interesting to see which coaches reach out and feel like he can fit better in their system and get more out of him. Avdalas is the second player to hit the portal from this year's team, joining Izaiah Pasha, who is also reportedly entering as well.