When Neoklis Avdalas committed to Virginia Tech last spring, it opened some eyes. He verbally committed before heading to the NBA Draft combine, but if he withdrew, he was committed to Mike Young and the Hokies.
He ended up withdrawing and kept true to his word and officially signing with Virginia Tech when he withdrew. Avdalas came with a lot of hype, and people were wondering if he could live up to the hype. Through the first two games of the season, he's proving that it could be a special season in Blacksburg.
On Saturday's 107-101 Virginia Tech overtime win over Providence, Avdalas had a game that opened a lot of eyes and had a lot of people asking the question, 'How did he end up at Virginia Tech?' On Monday, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports answered that question for everyone.
Jon Rothstein explains how Neoklis Avdalas ended up at Virginia Tech
After Avdalas put up 33 points, five rebounds, and six steals in 34 minutes, with only two turnovers. When all was said and done, a lot of people were wondering how he ended up at Virginia Tech. Rothstein explained how and the connection to the program.
"The reason why Virginia Tech was able to get in the mix is because there is a long-standing relationship between Chester Frazier, which is obviously one of the top assistants in the country, and Alex Saratsis,'' Rothstein said. "That was the bridge that got this thing together. Now, because of the relationship between Chester Frazier, Virginia Tech has a player in Avdalas that is appointment television every time the Hokeis play.''
Rothstein went on to say that Avdalas will join the conversation with the best freshmen in the country, but Chester Frazier's return to Virginia Tech was immediately felt. Saratsis is the agent for NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo and represents some of the best Greek players.
Just how the rest of the Virginia Tech season plays out remains to be seen, but Rothstein is right about one thing: Neoklis Avdalas is appointment TV each time the Hokies play in 2025-26.