Going into the season opener for the Virginia Tech men's basketball team on Monday night against Charleston Southern, Hokies fans were anxiously waiting to see what the start of freshman Neoklis Avdalas.
The prized incoming freshman who signed with Mike Young and Virginia Tech after withdrawing from the NBA Draft process back in May, Avdalas immediately made his presence felt from the tip. The point guard showed his flashy ball-handling skills, his smooth shot, his excellent court vision, and tough defense as the Hokies rolled in the second half to a 98-67 win over the Buccaneers.
Neoklis Avdalas shines in Virginia Tech debut
Avdalas's final stat line of eight points, nine assists, and three rebounds. It may not look like a big line, but it was the overall performance. His court vision is something that Virginia Tech has not had in a long time. After the game, Young said the quiet part out loud about his star.
"We need him to score some, but he's such a difference maker with his passing and his playmaking,'' Young said. "I thought Hokie fans saw a sample of that tonight. He can really spray the thing around and does some things that are quite remarkable. Nine assists, one turnover. That's Avdalas. He's a great one."
A 'great one' could end up being the correct take on Avdalas. He made a pair of passes down the floor on the fast break, one of which was a no-look, for a Tobi Lawal dunk in the second half, after a Tyler Johnson layup in the first half. Two passes that Virginia Tech fans had envisioned, but not seen like that in a long time.
It's only one game, and it's easy to get caught up in the hype, but if Avdalas can stay healthy, it is going to be a special winter in Blacksburg. His 9-1 assist-to-turnover ratio is something that, if he can come close to repeating on a nightly basis, the sky is the limit in 2025-26 for the future NBA draft pick.