Everything From Virginia Tech's Neoklis Avdalas, Ben Hammond and Tyler Johnson On Tuesday

Virginia Tech guards Neoklis Avdalas, Ben Hammond and Tyler Johnson spoke to the media on Tuesday; here is the entirety of what they had to say:

On what the last couple months has been like:

TJ: "Yeah, I really like where we're headed and where we are, like you said. Last few months has just been getting to know a bunch of new guys. You know, you know, we got me, Ben, J-Schutt coming back, but getting to really play with a bunch of new guys, see how they move, see how they move on the court and things like that has been really fun. getting to know these new dudes."

Q: Ben, what's it been like getting to play with all these new faces and what's the off-the-court chemistry been like getting to know these guys away from basketball?

BH: "Oh yeah, it's been great. They come from different countries, Germany and Greece. How they play basketball is different, for sure, but I mean, we've been adjusting to it. And I think things have been going well off the court. It's been fun to learn like their routines and all that. It's totally different from what we do in America. So, it's been great getting to know Neo and [Antonio] Dorn."

On Chester Frazier and what's different about him compared to other coaches:

Front row. Chris, um what does uh Chester Frasier bring to the table as a coach? How different is he uh maybe compared to the other coaches you've had here?

BH: "I would say intensity, for sure. Leadership. He brings that loud voice everybody wants to listen to, everybody wants to follow. Just a guy, everybody that you would want to follow behind or would want to have as your leader. So, it's been great being coached by him, for sure."

Q: Ben, you said something interesting just there about how the guys from Europe play differently. How do they play differently?

BH: "I would say they focus on the fundamentals better than America, for sure. I feel like he [Neoklis] knows a lot of things that maybe we don't know and we know a lot of things maybe he doesn't know. So, it just works hand in hand. It's definitely going to work this season, for sure."

On Avdalas' adjustment to college basketball:

NA: "Yeah, I would say [that] it was a great first couple of weeks getting to know everybody. Getting to know the style of play here in the US. It's a little bit different in Europe, for sure. I would say the pace, it's slower in Europe. Here is faster. So, have to get used to that. But other than that, it's been great."

Stay up front with Damian for Benner Tyler with uh Coach Gilner leaving to head Wford. Uh you guys got to work with him last year and over the summer. Uh what was your initial reactions to seeing him leaving?

On reaction to Coach Kevin Giltner leaving to head up Wofford:

"Yeah, so KG was one of the dudes that recruited me coming out of high school. So, it was kind of a shock, but I congratulated him and everything like that. That's the main goal, everybody's trying to get to the next level. So, him being a head coach, you can't do nothing but congratulate him and just be glad that God blessed him in that position."

Q: And Ben, Coach Young was in here saying this train's rolling forward and it's going in the right direction. You feel like with Coach Frazier and Coach [J.D.] Byers on this staff, that there's pieces around here that can fit a coach like Giltner to keep you guys going in the right direction?

BH: "Oh, yeah, for sure. All these guys, all these coaching staff, want us to win right now and that's what we all want to do right now. Last year, we didn't reach our standard or play to our standard that we wanted to or anybody wanted to for sure. So, I mean, this year we're definitely hitting the ground running."

On higher level in competition in guardroom:

BH: "It feels great. Playing around great players is always great to play the point guard role, for sure. Guys hit shots, guys are always open, guys get themselves open and it makes the game a lot easier."

On biggest improvement from last year:

TJ: "I feel like our competitiveness is on a different level because, like you said, the better guys and things like that. Every day in practice, it's a certain intensity that all the coaches bring, especially Frazier since he's new and things like that. It's just a whole different level, competitive and intensity."

On where Avdalas feels most comfortable:

NA: "I would say the point guard position. But, for sure, I think I'm positionless. I can play a lot of positions. But I feel like point guard is a position that I would like to see myself in the next [few] years."

Q: And then for you, what was the attraction in general of college basketball, and then more specifically, Virginia Tech?

NA: "I would say college basketball was always an option for me. I was always watching college basketball. And coming up to this season, last year, I entered the NBA Draft. It was a big thing for me. I thought I was close. So, I thought Virginia Tech was the best fit for me right now to go there next year."

On the visit to Virginia Tech and what stood out:

NA: "Yeah, it was great. It was one of the first colleges I went to. And it was with my family too. So, I was even happier. It was great. The people there, the hospitality, everything was great, so it was an easy option for me."

On playing with multiple point guards on one team and moving at a good pace:

BH: "It's been great. Every practice, we're making each other better. Of course having a lot of ball handlers is something we needed last year, for sure. So, us having that this year, it makes me more excited, for sure."

On how Avdalas thinks he has grown most as a player:

NA: "I've grown a lot to be honest, these past two years. Because I've been playing a lot, especially, uh, in Europe. I had a big role in my team. So, yeah, I would say that right now, I'm young, but I have experience. You know what I'm saying? So, I'm trying to put that to the table here to the team. And be ready."

On differences between pro ball and college ball:

NA: "Yeah, like I said, the pace is a big thing here. Like in Europe, it's mostly like grown men, like 30 35 years old. Here [in the United States], It's like 20, 21, 19. It's more hunger. So, everybody wants to play. Everybody has a hunger. So, it's more difficult, for sure."

On how the competitiveness manifests itself in practice:

TJ: "I feel like it man it manifests itself in very good ways. Like one day, we had a practice where one team was just, you could tell we was just on one. So, then we ran it back the next day. And it was the same type of intensity and I loved it. It was great."

Q: Tyler, Coach [Mike Young] said that "we just move better this year". Can you see that [in] just the timing and spacing? You feel like it's it's better this year?

TJ: "Yes. Everything right now feels like we moving as one team. We have days, everybody got days where it's like, 'All right, we got to come back together.' And stuff like that. But some days, you just feel like, 'All right, we can win right now.' So I like seeing it, watching film, going back, talking to the coaches and things like that. It's a great thing to look at."