North Carolina formally added its first player from the transfer portal under Michael Malone on Monday night, announcing the signing of Virginia Tech guard Neoklis Avdalas.
While Pete Nakos of On3 reported that Avdalas signed with UNC on April 23, Inside Carolina has now officially confirmed that he will join the Tar Heels. Avdalas is the No. 3 shooting guard and the No. 20 overall player in 247Sports’ transfer portal rankings. He chose North Carolina 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 last season while shooting 38.6% from the field and 31.4% from 3-point range. His 4.6 assists per game ranked eighth in the conference, and his 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio ranked 12th. Before transferring to Virginia Tech, Avdalas was rated the No. 2 international newcomer in the 2025 class by 247Sports. He also played for Greece at the FIBA Under-20 EuroBasket in Heraklion.
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 facing 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 free-throw line.
Avdalas profiles as a strong fit in North Carolina’s motion offense, which relies on quick decisions and sharp reads to create clean looks. His size, playmaking and international experience give the Tar Heels a versatile backcourt piece who could grow into a larger role over time.
