UNC eyes ACC guard as next portal target for 2026 roster

North Carolina continues to search the transfer portal for additions to next season’s roster, and one intriguing name has emerged.

That player is 6-foot-9 combo guard Neoklis Avdalas, who is the No. 3 shooting guard and No. 20 overall player in 247Sports’ transfer portal rankings. Outside of Carolina, he has drawn interest from Arkansas, Florida State, Kentucky, Michigan, Oklahoma State, St. John’s 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. He opened the season strong, averaging 14.1 points, 4.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds on 44.4% shooting from the field and 37% from 3 in nonconference play. Two of his best games were a 33-point outing against Providence and a 30-point performance against Western Carolina.

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His production dipped in ACC play. While his assist and rebounding numbers stayed steady, he struggled to score, averaging 10.8 points on 35.1% shooting from the field and 28.1% from beyond the arc.

His time at Virginia Tech, however, doesn’t tell the whole story.

Before transferring to Virginia Tech, Avdalas was ranked as the No. 2 international newcomer in the 2025 class by 247Sports. He represented Greece in the FIBA U20 EuroBasket in Heraklion, Greece.

Avdalas spent two seasons in Greece’s 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 facing seasoned professionals, he averaged 7.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 18.5 minutes across 26 games, shooting 43.6% from the field, 35.7% from 3-point range and 70.3% from the free-throw line.

Avdalas would be a strong fit for Michael Malone’s motion offense, which relies on players making quick, smart reads to create open looks. Given Malone’s history with long, versatile players such as Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr., Avdalas could maximize his potential if he chooses North Carolina.

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/unc-eyes-acc-guard-next-163015582.html

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Publish date : 2026-04-11 16:30:00

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