When Neoklis Avdalas entered the NBA Draft process last spring, he did it to see what feedback he would get. Before going through the process, he verbally committed to Mike Young and Virginia Tech, which was a bit of a surprise, if he withdrew from the NBA Draft.
He ended up withdrawing, was true to his word, and signed with the Hokies, giving them one of the program's top recruits. Playing a year of college was seen as helping him to develop his game more. So far, so good.
Avdalas has been very good for Young and the Hokies, who are 8-2 after an 11-point win over George Mason at home on Saturday afternoon. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman released a 2026 NBA mock draft, and he had Avdalas as a late first-round pick.
Virginia Tech star Neoklis Avdalas projected as a first-round draft pick
According to Wasserman, Avdalas is projected to go 22nd in the opening round to the Miami Heat, an Eastern Conference contender, where Avdalas would really benefit from their system.
"But for a 6'9" forward, his scoring versatility and playmaking will remain obvious draws. Offense runs through his ability to handle. He's demonstrated clear passing IQ early, and after shooting a respectable 35.7 percent from three last year overseas, he has shown notable shotmaking confidence so far with deep threes and mid-range pull-ups/fallaways,'' Wasserman wrote.
Wasserman also noted that Avdalas has struggled since his 33-point, six-assist effort in an overtime win over Providence early last month. Yes, he has struggled somewhat, and now that teams are getting film on him, they are defending him differently. That was bound to happen.
However, he might not be scoring as much as he would like, but he's running the offense the way Young wants, and his offense will come eventually. He's too good not to. There is still a chance that he slides up or slides down as there are still six-plus months un til the draft, but he's certainly opening eyes with the handful of scouts on hand last Tuesday night at South Carolina.