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Virginia Tech's Neoklis Avdalas and the Art of Game Control

While Avdalas didn't necessarily light up the stat sheet, he tallied a very strong game.
Josh Poslusny|
Neoklis Avdalas introduced as a starter in season opener vs Charleston Southern. Credit - Virginia Tech Athletics
Neoklis Avdalas introduced as a starter in season opener vs Charleston Southern. Credit - Virginia Tech Athletics | Virginia Tech Athletics

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Virginia Tech Hokies

New Virginia Tech guard Neoklis Avdalas made his collegiate debut yesterday against Charleston Southern in a 98-67 Hokies win. While he didn't light up the stat sheet with scoring, he played an exemplary game outside his shooting and did more than pass the eye test.

Starting off, Avdalas had nine assists and just one turnover in this game, with the turnover being an arguable foul call. He did shoot 1-for-6 from deep and 3-for-13 from the field, but there's a plethora of time to dial in his shot.

What stood out more than anything, though, was his ability to control the tempo of the game and manipulate the defense.

“He’s smart, super smart, and he’s figuring it out," said Head Coach Mike Young. "The European game is different than ours. I’m not saying ours is better or theirs is better, it’s just different. They’ve got really good players and really good coaches over there. This game is faster and certainly more physical, but he’s adapting well.”

Here's a look at Avalas manipulating his defender around an Amani Hansberry screen to get a solid look from long range.

On this play, he the showcased impressive ability and hustle on the defensive side of the floor, too. Here's a look at this chasedown block.

"He’s such a difference maker with how he passes the ball," Young said. "He makes everyone around him better. He can really see it before it happens.”

That's before showcasing a single on of the nine assists that he made, and those plays are what stood out above the rest.

Against a zone defense in a clip above, Avdalas drives and demands help, and then kicks it out to an open Jaden Schutt, who was able to knock down a trey.

Charleston Southern showcased a variety of different defensive looks, but Avdalas, with his IQ and skill, found different ways to manipulate each different look and enhance his teammates' play.

Though Avdalas tallied eight points, the feeling is that the scoring will eventually come. That output will come with time and adjustment to the American game as Avdalas adjusts after playing professionally overseas in Greece.

"“He’s so anxious to get going offensively," Young said. "We need him to score some, but he’s such a difference maker with his passing and playmaking. Hokie fans saw a sample of that tonight. He can really spray the ball around and does some things that are remarkable.”

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Josh Poslusny
JOSH POSLUSNY

Joshua Poslusny - who goes by Poz - is a Radford University sophomore in the School of Communication. He graduated from Ocean Springs High School in Mississippi in 2024. He has previously done work for The Tech Lunch Pail, Tech Sideline, and Sons of Saturday, among others. He specializes in baseball coverage, which he has been doing for the last year. He also has experience covering football, basketball, and softball.

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