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, 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.