Last season was a disaster of sorts for Virginia Tech. The Hokies lost a lot of talent in the transfer portal and did not do a good job of replacing them, leading to a season where they were one of the worst teams in the ACC. They played hard and were well-coached by Mike Young, but the lack of talent was evident nearly every night.
To the Hokies credit, they have done their best to try and upgrade their roster this offseason. They have added talented players such as Amani Hansberry (West Virginia) and Izaiah Pasha (Delaware) through the transfer portal while getting forward Tobi Lawal to stay in Blacksburg. What will the results be? Only time will tell, but this could be a team that sees a big turnaround.
That is not what everyone is projecting though.
CBS Sports analyst Isaac Trotter put every ACC team into tiers, with the tiers looking like this:
- Tier 1 – Title contenders: Pretty cut and dry. I think these teams have the upside to win the title. Not just make the second weekend. Not just win three in a row because of a nice draw. Six straight, do-or-die wins.
- Tier 2 – Top 25 caliber club: These teams have accrued plenty of talent and should be safely in the NCAA Tournament field today, but they have a few flaws that could keep them out of the top tier.
- Tier 3 – Bubblicious: A Big Dance appearance is in the range of potential outcomes, but the NIT, the Crown (or worse) looms if things fizzle.
- Tier 4 – The basement: These teams have a slim chance of making the Big Dance unless something drastically clicks or they make a late splash in recruiting.
Trotter put the Hokies in the basement tier with Georgia Tech, Cal, Florida State, Pittsburgh, Boston College, and Stanford. Here is what he had to say about the Hokies roster, as well as projecting their starting five:
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
G Izaiah Pasha (Delaware transfer)
G Jaden Schutt*
G Jailen Bedford (UNLV transfer)
F Amani Hansberry (West Virginia transfer)
F Tobi Lawal*
Top bench options: G Tyler Johnson, G Ben Hammond, F Christian Gurdak
The scoop: “Last season’s Virginia Tech roster was losing the talent battle every time it stepped onto the floor. Mike Young only added three transfers, but they all look like impact players. Pasha is the jewel. The Delaware transfer has a prime opportunity to be a go-to player. Bedford is a proven veteran sharpshooter, and Hansberry, while undersized, is just productive and tough. His best basketball is clearly ahead of him, and some of his concerns as a shot-blocker are mitigated by the return of Lawal who is a pogo-stick leaper.
Virginia Tech will be a little bit better, but it still needs one more splashy addition if it wants to seriously compete for a bid.”
Could Virginia Tech still make another splashy addition? They are in the mix for international prospect Neoklis Avdalas, but he is still deciding whether or not to stay in the NBA Draft.
In a recent article from 247Sports Grant Hughes, Avdalas was ranked as the second best international player in college basketball (should he return), behind only Duke guard Dame Sarr:
“Avdalas is testing the NBA Draft waters but is poised to be an instant impact player at the college level should he choose that path.
The 19-year-old prospect has already claimed several major honors in his young career, securing the Greek Super Cup in 2021, earning Greek All-Star recognition in 2023 and capturing the Greek League Best Young Player award in 2024.
The 6-foot-8 Avdalas averaged 8.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game with Peristeri B.C. (Greek Basketball League) last season. He shot 39.3% from behind the arc.
Avdalas has taken visits to Virginia Tech and Baylor this offseason and is expected to take more if he pulls his name from the NBA Draft.
“Neoklis Avdalas is a slick 6-foot-8 wing who can handle it and navigate pick-and-rolls as a secondary creator,” Trotter said. “Can pass, dribble and shoot pretty comfortably. Avdalas offers real positional size, but he’s not a blow-you-away athlete.
“His body control and feel are impeccable and help him create value whether he’s playing on or off the ball.”
Sports Illustrated profiled him earlier this year as he began to generate traction in the draft.
“Avdalas has an offensive game that allows for flexible lineups, which will be very attractive to NBA teams. Whether he operates as a point guard to set up teammates or as more of an off-ball wing alongside other ball handlers, he fits in so many different types of lineups. Ultimately, operating as a point forward at the NBA level is what seems most likely. When he does have the ball in his hands, Avdalas has a great handle and can change pace quickly. When he wants to get to the rim, he has explosiveness and quickness that allows him to get past his defender.
On the defensive end, Avdalas’s size and athleticism should allow him to defend multiple positions. He’s a smart team defender, which raises his floor on that end, but he continues to progress as an individual defender as he gets more reps against better competition. He still needs to improve at the point of attack and defending in isolation scenarios, but there’s reason to believe he can get there.”
Could the Hokies make a huge splash and land him if he decides to go the college route? They will have plenty of competition but don’t count out Mike Young.
