Everything From Virginia Tech's Neoklis Avdalas After Victory Over Western Carolina

Virginia Tech guard Neoklis Avdalas spoke to the media following the Hokies' 96-74 victory over Western Carolina; here's the entirety of what Avdalas had to say:

On what from Western Carolina's defense enabled Avdalas to tally 30 points:

"I mean, the shots were falling, obviously today, I think the difference was trying to get me to score more. Think the other games the defense wanted me to get rid of the ball so my teammates will find better looks. But that's that's the game. Now the game is different. I find some ways to score. Next game is going to be different, so I just take it game to game."

On if there was a switch that flipped from the first half (six points) to the second (24):

"I don't know something switched, get into the same mentality from the jump. I'll get some better looks offensively. Just got going early with some easy buckets, and my team trusted me to take some more."

On Avdalas hitting four three-pointers:

"Yeah, they collapsed to the other teammates. I was able to find more open shots. That's good for me."

On how helpful as a shooter it is to have adept passers:

"Yeah, I mean, we have very good passes. Ben Hammond is one of them when the defense collapses. I tried to move off the ball in order to get some open shots for me. So, I believe that's it."

Q: What were you feeling in the second half? Just having fun out there?

"Yeah, I always have fun. As I said, from the jump, I was with the same mentality. I just had some better looks in the second half. The shots were falling."

On what Avdalas likes about his team's play thus far:

"I like it, man. I like to play. We play very good, very good basketball. I believe we got working for sure. We started the ACC conference [play] in two games. So we got to play these two games with all of our effort to win the games, but as much as we can so to go with the ACC with good confidence."

On if Avdalas reached a point in the second half where he realized that the half would be 'special':

"Yeah, like I said, early from second half, when my shots were falling, I just find my rhythm, and when I find my rhythm, I'm difficult to guard."

On Jaden Schutt's eight-point scoring run in the first half:

"Great. He's a great shooter, man. He's a great shooter. Have some very good plays to find him. Shoot the ball. That's what he does and it's great for us, because he just shoots the ball. He's a great shooter, and it's great for our team to find some easy, open looks in the fence."

On if it's the first time Avdalas felt that rhythm since providence:

"Yeah, like I said, different. They guard me different every game. They don't guard me like that. After the Providence game, I believe the defense was harder. They tried to head the screens with the four with a five. So, I was able to find the pocket pass to Amani [Hansberry], to my teammates, and they get open looks. So, like I said, they're not gonna play in the same way every night. I just like to make the correct choice every time, the correct play."

It seemed like this team that you played tonight played a very aggressive South Side ball. How did while you're on the court, how was you and your teammates were responding to that?

Yeah, for us. I mean, we did the scouting. We knew they're a good team. They're trying to come here to fight, like most of the teams. Want to control the game from the from the jump. We did a pretty good jump, staying with 20 points margin at the very early half. But yeah, I think we kept it. It's good to win, man, it's good to win these games and build your confidence."

On the 13-made Tech threes:

"Yeah, that's a good number. Like I said, we have a very talented team. I believe, a very talented team. Each and every one of us can score the ball, find his teammates, score. The thing for us, we gotta play a little bit better defense. When we do that, we're very difficult to get."

Q: Amani said, you don't flop as much as you used to. Is that really something you've been working on?

"Me or him?"

S: He said that you don't flop as much as you used to.

"He's right. When I came here and my body wasn't, I wasn't like that, so maybe I was flopping a little bit. But yeah, I tried to build that. I tried to go, I tried to go hard to the basket every time."

Q: You gonna insult him to make up for that, I guess?

"No, he's right. He's right. I try not to flop right now, and I do a good job."

On the relatively even shooting splits inside and outside the arc and that how that helped open up Avdalas' game:

"Yeah, we got shooters and we got guys that can attack off the bounce. We got both players, and it's very good to have both, so you can attack the defense with both ways."

Q: What are you looking to see from the team in the final two games before you start ACC play?

"Nothing, just win. That's the most important thing. Just give all of our effort, we know it's going to be done, so we just try to win as much as we can."