North Carolina is aggressively pursuing Neoklis Avdalas, a 6-foot-9 wing and former Virginia Tech freshman, who is highly ranked in the transfer portal. The Tar Heels have received a crystal ball prediction to land him, amid interest from several other top programs.
North Carolina has been aggressive in the transfer portal, even though Michael Malone has been on the job for only a few days.
One early priority is 6-foot-9 wing Neoklis Avdalas, who spent last season as a freshman at Virginia Tech. North Carolinaās pitch appears to be resonating, as the Tar Heels have picked up a crystal ball prediction on 247Sports to land him.
Avdalas the No. 3 shooting guard and No. 20 overall player in 247Sportsā transfer portal rankings. Outside of Carolina, he has drawn interest from Arkansas, Florida State, Kentucky, Michigan, Oklahoma State, St. Johnās and Texas.
Avdalas averaged 12.1 points, 4.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds while shooting 38.6% from the field and 31.4% from 3-point range.
Before transferring to Virginia Tech, Avdalas was ranked the No. 2 international newcomer in the 2025 class by 247Sports. He also represented Greece at the FIBA Under-20 EuroBasket in Heraklion, Greece.
Avdalas spent two seasons in Greeceās top-tier HEBA A1 league, first with AS Karditsas in 2023-24 and then with Peristeri BC in 2024-25. As an 18-year-old playing against established professionals, he averaged 7.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 18.5 minutes over 26 games, shooting 43.6% from the field, 35.7% from 3-point range and 70.3% at the foul line.
Avdalas projects as a strong fit in Maloneās motion offense, which depends on quick decisions and sharp reads to generate clean looks. Given Maloneās track record with long, versatile players such as Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr., Avdalas could tap into his full ceiling if he chooses North Carolina.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball: Tar Heels trending for versatile Virginia Tech transfer
Neoklis Avdalas averaged 12.1 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.1 rebounds while shooting 38.6% from the field and 31.4% from 3-point range.
Other schools interested in Neoklis Avdalas include Arkansas, Florida State, Kentucky, Michigan, Oklahoma State, St. John's, and Texas.
Neoklis Avdalas is ranked as the No. 3 shooting guard and No. 20 overall player in the 247Sports transfer portal rankings.
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