"He Looked Like Neo": Virginia Tech's Neoklis Avdalas Enters Stretch Run Rejuvenated

Virginia Tech wing Neoklis Avdalas is confident that he's back. Amid a vacillatory output in league play, the Greek freshman delivered a signature performance Saturday vs. Wake Forest, logging 17 points and eight assists on a 6-of-14 clip, including a 4-for-9 mark from beyond the arc.

"I'm back now," Avdalas remarked.

"He looked like Neo," said Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young. "He was getting downhill. He had seven assists and zero turnovers. He attacked the rim early in the first half.

"... His shot selection was very good. He was a big-league player... Hope that that is a sign of things to come as we move along down the stretch."

keep going, Neo 🇬🇷📈 pic.twitter.com/hOxxQWcwZc
— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) February 23, 2026

Avdalas produced a solid but inefficient start to league play, accumulating 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists vs. then-No. 21 Virginia in a triple-overtime victory. He did so on 5-of-21 shooting, though he played 49 minutes and picked up a minor ankle injury in extra time.

That injury hindered him through his first matchup with Wake Forest on Jan. 3. The Demon Deacons forced Avdalas into an inauspicious seven turnovers, including four miscues in as many minutes to open the contest. Avdalas ended the contest with eight points and seven assists on 2-of-5 shooting.

Still, he seemed to steady himself with a 21-point performance against Stanford — the kind of outing that suggested a reset. Yet even in that showing, there lingered an incomplete feel, as if the rhythm wasn’t fully restored.

That unease only intensified over the next seven games. Avdalas reached double figures just once in that span, his production dipping in ways that were difficult to ignore. He endured a pair of 1-for-8 shooting nights — first against Louisville on Jan. 24, finishing with two points, and again versus then-No. 4 Duke on Jan. 31, when he managed five. Confidence appeared to waver as shots rimmed out and drives stalled.

When he exited for the final time against the Blue Devils, portions of the Cassell Coliseum crowd responded with boos, a jarring soundtrack for a player still searching for consistency.

Against NC State, there were signs of progress. Avdalas poured in 14 points on an efficient 5-for-6 shooting line, picking his spots and finishing decisively, albeit on a low shooting volume.

Four days later, however, the momentum stalled. Facing then-No. 20 Clemson, he was limited to eight points on 3-for-9 shooting and committed four turnovers, struggling to find the same balance between aggression and control.

Against Florida State, Avdalas finished 3-for-8 from the field for 10 points — serviceable, but not commanding. The dip continued versus Miami, where he managed just two points on three shot attempts, again struggling to assert himself as a scorer.

Yet there was reason for measured optimism. Even as his shot wavered against the Hurricanes, Avdalas influenced the game in other ways, collecting five rebounds and dishing out eight assists. The scoring totals may have been modest, but the all-around production suggested he was still capable of impacting the floor beyond the box score’s headline numbers.

"When I don't score, I help my team win in other ways," Avdalas said. "I can pass, I can rebound, can play defense."

In his last game, vs. Wake Forest, Avdalas turned in a 17-point, seven-assist night. It's one that he hopes will carry forward.

"Played really good, man," Avdalas said.

Still, the emphasis remains on consistent scoring aggression. Avdalas attempted just three shots against Miami — a season low — fading into the background for long stretches. The contrast was stark against Wake Forest, when he drilled four 3-pointers and played with far more conviction. Avdalas' four made triples were his most since Dec. 11 vs. Western Carolina, where he logged 30 points.

Rather than hesitating or overprocessing, Avdalas attacked gaps, made quick decisions and operated within the flow of the offense. That decisiveness proved contagious. The ball moved with purpose, teammates cut with intent and the result was a crisp 19-to-5 assist-to-turnover ratio.

I had a good performance now, and I feel like I grew my confidence," the wing explained. "... That's why I said I'm back. Even when I don't have a good game, scoring-wise, I help my team win in other ways."

Avdalas also pointed to his 33-point performance against Providence. At the time, it placed him on a very small list of Virginia Tech freshmen to ever log that many points in a game — and with that, came a set of expectations. The Greek wing came into the season as Virginia Tech's first five-star recruit since Dorian Finney-Smith in 2011.

"Everybody thought that I would [score 33 points] every game," Avdalas said. "But that's not me. I mean, I can score the ball pretty well, but I'm a pretty good passer. I can do a lot of things on the court."

Still, relocating across the world to the United States would represent a seismic adjustment for anyone — let alone a young player chasing professional basketball aspirations while learning a new system. The transition demands more than cultural adaptation; it requires recalibrating on the court.

Though American and European basketball are fundamentally the same, the American game is faster-paced and relies on aggression in transition, as opposed to Europe's more methodical style of play.

Though Avdalas isn't sure of what the future may bring — whether it's the NBA or a second year in college — what he is confident in is his abilities.

"I know my abilities," Avdalas said. "I know what player I am, I know I can make it to the next level. It's this whole new experience for me being here in the US by myself, playing basketball. But I think I've had a pretty good season. I'm trying to enjoy these last games. I don't know how many games have left, and I'm gonna see what's ahead on in the future."

Avdalas' next chance to shine comes Feb. 28 when the Hokies venture to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to contest No. 16 UNC. The Hokies and Tar Heels will tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET that night, with coverage available on ESPN2.