How Can Virginia Tech Replace Neoklis Avdalas?

The question posed in my headline introduces an added level of intrigue when viewed through the prism of Virginia Tech's season finale.

NEWS: Virginia Tech guard Neoklis Avdalas plans to enter the @TransferPortal, source told @On3. ⁰⁰The 6-9 freshman averaged 12.1 points and 4.6 assists per game this season. https://t.co/P2CLLLO2iq pic.twitter.com/wvZfPdbjTs
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) March 27, 2026

Neoklis Avdalas, the 6-foot-9 guard who entered Virginia Tech's 2025-26 season as the highest-rated recruit in a decade and a half, ended the season with a cratering low point.

Avdalas was subbed out with 7:37 to play in the second half against Wake Forest in the first round of the ACC Tournament and did not return, even as the game entered overtime. Avdalas ended his year at Virginia Tech with a five-point, zero-assist, three-turnover performance against the Demon Deacons. The guard made just two of his eight shots. The Hokies lost, 95-89, and subsequently declined an NIT bid, ending their season.

Replacing Avdalas' production likely comes from the aggregate, though it is unlikely that the Hokies can find a scorer who produces at the same peak that Avdalas did. Against Providence on Nov. 8, Avdalas amassed a career-high 33 points (13-for-23 from the field, 5-for-8 from beyond the arc), tacking on six assists and five rebounds for good measure. Yet, in 19 games (18 regular season + ACCT Round 1 vs. Wake Forest) against ACC opponents, Avdalas was held to single-digit points nine times and only passed the 20-point barrier once (21 points vs. Stanford, Jan. 7).

Though Avdalas was the Hokies' best player at his peak, he factored less into Virginia Tech's offensive attack, which slowed more as Ben Hammond became the primary focal point of the offense.

Hammond became particularly effective, averaging a team-high 14.9 points in league play. Five ACC games saw the sophomore guard score 20 or more points, with the highlight being a 30-point performance against then-No. 21 Virginia on Dec. 31, 2025.

Avdalas struggled particularly in a three-game stretch vs. then-No. 23 Louisville, Georgia Tech and Duke, where he averaged 5.3 points per game and logged 16.1% and 13.3% splits from the field and three-point land, respectively.

Avdalas had his highs, but also incredibly low lows throughout the season. Without him in the fold for the 2026-27 season, Virginia Tech finds itself without its best player at the peak, but also without Avdalas at his lowest.

Avdalas' struggles were particularly evident in ACC play, where he averaged 10.8 points per game, fifth-most on the team — sitting behind Hammond (14.9), forward Amani Hansberry (13.1), guard Jailen Bedford (13.0) and forward Tobi Lawal. In league play, Avdalas shot 35.1% (67-for-191) from the field, 28.1% (25-for-89) from beyond the arc and 66.7% (36-for-54) from the free-throw line.

Across the totality of the season, Avdalas averaged 12.1 points, 4.5 assists and 3.1 rebounds per contest.

To some extent, given Hammond's rise in the ACC portion of Virginia Tech's schedule, the Hokies have a building block if they can retain Hammond for his junior year. Tech now needs to add a stable two-guard, especially if Jailen Bedford cannot come back due to exhausting his eligibility. Virginia Tech can replace Avdalas in the aggregate, and it will have an easier time doing so if it can retain guard Jaden Schutt and receive a more consistent output from the rising redshirt senior next season.

Avdalas was the second player to enter the transfer portal, joining fellow guard Izaiah Pasha, who entered on Tuesday.