Michael Malone has his first transfer portal commitment as North Carolina’s new head coach — and it’s a big one.
Literally.
Former Virginia Tech wing Neoklis Avdalas has committed to UNC, he announced on social media on Monday, giving the Tar Heels their first major addition of the Malone era.
Avdalas was ranked No. 22 on The Athletic’s list of best players in the transfer portal.
Avdalas, a 6-foot-9 Greek wing, averaged 12.1 points, 4.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game for the Hokies last season after arriving in college basketball as one of last spring’s top international recruits. Arguably his best performance all year came in his second career game, in which he dropped 33 points — on five-of-eight shooting from 3-point range — and six assists against Providence.
While Avdalas was still productive the rest of the season, he was less efficient over time, shooting just 38.6 percent overall and 31.4 percent from 3 in a high-usage role. Initially billed as a point forward, the freshman turned out to be more of a jumbo-sized playmaker than do-it-all wing scorer and handler.
That is still an incredibly valuable piece for Malone, who is building out his first college team after formally accepting the UNC job less than a week ago. Malone won the 2023 NBA title with the Denver Nuggets, and Avdalas’ commitment is one early sign of how his NBA teaching may impact his college rosters.
Namely, it’s a preference for positional size, a trend that has swept across college basketball in recent years. UNC was the sixth-tallest team in the country this season, per KenPom, starting 6-foot-9 Jarin Stevenson, 6-foot-10 Caleb Wilson and 7-foot Henri Veesaar together in a jumbo-sized frontline. Michigan won the national championship starting three players who were 6-9 and taller, including All-American Yaxel Lendeborg, a 6-foot-9 forward with the skill and shooting to play on the wing for the Wolverines.
Avdalas isn’t nearly as strong as Lendeborg, and may instead slot in as an oversized guard for the Tar Heels — especially depending on who else Malone lands or retains — but his length is a clear indicator of what UNC is after under its new head coach.
That role, as more of an oversized guard, may fit Avdalas’ skillset better, considering some of his struggles as a scorer last season. Per Synergy, Avdalas was most efficient in transition last season, but otherwise did not rank in the top 50 percent nationally as a pick-and-roll handler, spot-up shooter or isolation scorer. However, he was elite as a pick-and-roll passer, frequently finding open shooters after defenses collapsed on his drives. Virginia Tech outscored opponents by 7.6 points per 100 possessions when Avdalas was on the floor, per CBB Analytics.
If Veesaar — a fringe first-round pick — opts to return for UNC, he and Avdalas would form a potent pick-and-roll duo, both driving downhill and in pick-and-pop scenarios.
Shot selection will also be a big point of emphasis for Avdalas, who took almost a fifth of his shots from the midrange, per CBB Analytics, despite only making 30.8 percent of them.
Defensively, Avdalas’ size makes him at least solid, and he only committed 1.7 fouls per 40 minutes, a top-75 rate nationally, per KenPom. He can still stand to improve off the ball, but his length gives him a physical advantage against most guards. That’s also why he’s a decent secondary rim protector, especially against opposing guards.
Overall, UNC would be best served pairing Avdalas with another ballhandler (or two) so he doesn’t have to handle such a high-usage role again. But as a secondary handler and scorer with great instincts in ball-screen scenarios, he’ll be a key piece for Malone’s first roster.
What’s next?
Stevenson also announced Monday he’ll return next season, playing into Malone’s preference for positional size.
Internally, much of the focus remains on trying to convince Veesaar to return for his senior season, a move thought to be more financially advantageous than the NBA Draft.
As Veesaar’s decision comes into focus, North Carolina will be able to move more aggressively toward other transfer portal targets, especially along the perimeter.
