Virginia Tech was past the point of no return. It was mid-June and rosters were mostly full. The ceiling of the 2025-26 Hokies hinged on the possible commitment of one player, a relatively unknown 6-foot-9 guard from Kalamata, Greece, named Neoklis Avdalas.
Coach Mike Young and his staff had gone all-in on signing Avdalas — and for good reason. The 19-year-old was an NBA-caliber talent with extensive professional experience overseas. “The first time I saw him was on film, and I was just mesmerized with his sheer size as a point guard and his ability to pass and make others better,” Young tells Hoops HQ.
Over the preceding months, Avdalas had been juggling several options for his future. He could remain in Greece, where he was already signed to the powerhouse EuroLeague club Panathinaikos. He could make the jump to the NBA, his ultimate goal. Or he could go the college route, aiming to raise his draft stock for 2026.
By early June, Avdalas had verbally committed to the Hokies. The longstanding relationship between his agent, Alex Saratsis, and associate head coach Chester Frazier had proven critical during the recruitment process (Saratsis’ client Rudy Gay is a close friend of Frazier’s). But Avdalas remained in the draft, having generated significant buzz following his performance at the NBA Combine. “I was scared to death that he was going to stay in the draft,” Young says. “There was no way to replace what he was going to bring to the table.”
Young didn’t know exactly when Avdalas would be making his decision. As an international player, he had until June 15, about three weeks later than the American prospects. With the deadline approaching, Young received a call from Saratsis, who began to lay out what the next few months would look like for his client. The implication was clear: Avdalas was coming. Virginia Tech had its guy.
As a result, expectations for the Hokies, who haven’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2022, soared. Through the first six weeks of the season, Avdalas has lived up to the hype, averaging 14.5 points, 4.8 assists and 3.6 rebounds to lead Virginia Tech to a 10-2 record. He has shot up draft boards, with some mocks now placing him in the lottery. His highlights — deep threes, smooth step-backs and exceptional passes — have routinely gone viral on social media. Fans have dubbed him “Greek Luka” and “The Greek God of College Hoops.”
“The best option for me was to go to college,” Avdalas tells Hoops HQ. “And I believe right now that I made the right choice.”
On the inside of Neoklis Avdalas’ left forearm are several tattoos. A lion, his favorite animal. The words “Non Desistas,” Latin for “Never give up.” And a basketball surrounded by Japanese letters that spell out “Ikigai,” a concept meaning “a reason to wake up in the morning.”
Basketball is, and has always been, Avdalas’ ikigai.
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Avdalas grew up in Kalamata, about a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Athens. His father, Dimitris Avdalas, played professional basketball in Greece’s first division for Aris B.C. and Sporting B.C. Neoklis picked up the sport at the age of four and was immediately infatuated. While Dimitris was a bruising forward, Neoklis trained as a guard. He became accustomed to having the ball in his hands long before he hit a major growth spurt as a teenager, sprouting to 6-foot-9.
At 13 years old, Avdalas moved from Kalamata to Athens to join the pipeline of Panathinaikos B.C., one of the top clubs in Europe. The plan was for him to develop within the club’s academy system until he was ready to turn professional. That process moved a lot faster than expected.
During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Panathinaikos men’s team was extremely shorthanded. Several players had contracted the virus, while others were dealing with injuries. Avdalas, then just 14, was called up from the youth ranks. “It was a crazy experience for me,” he says, “because I was watching Panathinaikos from Kalamata one to two years (before).”
By the ensuing season (2021-22), Avdalas was earning minutes for Panathinakos. He became the youngest player ever to score in a EuroLeague game at 15 years, 10 months and six days. Shortly after, he signed his first pro contract (a five-year deal), as word about him spread throughout the basketball world. At that point, Avdalas’ far-fetched dream of making it to the NBA began to feel attainable.
Avdalas envisioned himself following a similar path to that of his biggest basketball inspiration: five-time NBA All-Star Luka Dončić. Originally from Ljubljana, Slovenia, Dončić spent four years with the Spanish club Real Madrid and won a EuroLeague MVP before entering the 2018 NBA Draft, where he was selected with the third overall pick. Avdalas was studying Dončić long before most Americans knew about the Slovenian phenom. “Luka has been my favorite player since he was with Real Madrid,” Avdalas explains. “He’s been my role model. I believe that we kind of play the same. I want to play like him. I’ve studied him a lot. But I like to (bring) my own (style) to the game, too. I’m not Luka Dončić. I’m Neoklis Avdalas.”
Avdalas’ journey has also proven distinct from Dončić’s. After two years with Panathinaikos, during which he played sparingly, Avdalas was loaned to the Greek Basket League team AS Karditsas for the 2023-24 campaign. He had an up-and-down season — some games he logged 25 minutes, others he didn’t get off the bench. He spent the following season on loan with Peristeri B.C., another Greek club, and assumed a more consistent role, averaging 7.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 rebounds in 18.5 minutes. “It was a better opportunity for me,” he says. “I had the ball in my hands. I believe it was one of the best (seasons) of my career so far because it made me develop. Playing minutes in the Greek League with men is not easy for an 18-year-old kid.”
Scouts took note of Avdalas’ rise, as he emerged as a legitimate NBA prospect. At the conclusion of the season, he decided to test the draft waters. He came to the U.S. to prepare for the combine and also explore the possibility of going to college. Unsurprisingly, he received interest from numerous top schools, including Kansas, North Carolina, Arizona and Baylor.
The fact that Avdalas’ agent knew Virginia Tech associate head coach Chester Frazier helped the Hokies get in the mix. From Young’s perspective, the recruitment process was “fast and furious,” with his staff doing all it could to capitalize on its connection. “Recruiting is hard,” Young says. “and there’s an element of luck involved. And there was certainly an element of luck getting that kid here.”
When Avdalas took an official visit to Virginia Tech, he fell in love with it. Blacksburg reminded him of Kalamata in many ways — “just the sea is missing,” he says with a laugh. The coaches made it clear that he would have a major role right away, including the opportunity to play in the pick-and-roll, where Avdalas is at his best. While the Hokies were coming off a disappointing 13-19 season, they had retained several key pieces and made solid additions via the portal. Avdalas became convinced that VT was the best place for him to showcase what he could do and improve his game before making the leap to the NBA in 2026. “I did have many options, but it didn’t really matter to me,” Avdalas says, “because when I came here and (coach Frazier) and coach Young talked to me and my agent and they welcomed my family here, it was unbelievable. They said the things that I wanted to hear.”
Avdalas verbally committed in early June, then made Hokie nation sweat for a week before withdrawing from the draft and officially signing with the program. He had piqued the interest of NBA teams, but not enough to climb into the first-round conversation. “I really loved him coming out of the combine,” one anonymous NBA scout told Hoops HQ. “I thought he had a chance to get drafted last year, probably as a second-round pick. So he made the right decision to go to college.”
The arrival of Avdalas completely changed Virginia Tech’s outlook for the 2025-26 campaign. Hoops HQ ranked him as the ACC’s No. 1 incoming international player. In just his second game, Avdalas erupted for 33 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds to propel the Hokies to a 107-101 victory over Providence. He had his second 30-point performance of the season against Western Carolina a week ago, shooting 10 of 17 from the field and 4 of 8 from behind the arc. Even when he isn’t scoring, Avdalas contributes to winning. “He’s also had 6 (points) and had a positive impact on the game with just his playmaking and his ability to make others better,” Young says. “He’s as good as advertised.”
Young is hesitant to compare anyone to Luka Dončić, but the similarities between the Los Angeles Lakers superstar and Avdalas are obvious. Both are big, crafty guards with tremendous court vision and footwork. Young has been blown away by Avdalas’ composure with the ball, a product of the freshman’s rare pro experience.
With Avdalas running the show, the Hokies are off to an impressive start. Hoops HQ bracketologist Brad Wachtel currently projects them to make the NCAA Tournament as a No. 10 seed. Meanwhile, Avdalas has already boosted his draft stock for 2026, as scouts continue to monitor how he develops as a perimeter shooter and defender. It may have come as a surprise to some, but the partnership between Avdalas and Virginia Tech has thus far proven successful.
“He came here for a purpose,” says Young. “And I think it’s working out for both parties.”
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