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.
