Freshman Neoklis Avdalas will look to turn heads again for Virginia Tech, which hosts Saint Joseph’s on Wednesday in Blacksburg.
The 19-year-old Greece native recorded 33 points, six assists and five rebounds for the Hokies (2-0) in their 107-101 overtime victory over Providence on Saturday. The 6-foot-9 guard shared the Atlantic Coast Conference’s co-player and co-rookie of the week honors with North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson.
Avdalas didn’t sign with Virginia Tech until June, but he has quickly asserted himself as one of the Hokies’ go-to players.
“It was kind of hard for me in the beginning to transition my game here in the U.S.,” Avdalas said. “The speed and pace are faster, but my teammates and coaches did a really good job when I got here.”
Avdalas leads Virginia Tech with 20.5 points and 7.5 assists per game through two wins, while West Virginia transfer Amani Hansberry chips in 18 points and 12 rebounds per contest.
Ahead of the matchup with the former conference foe — Virginia Tech and Saint Joseph’s played in the Atlantic 10 together from 1995-2000 – Hokies coach Mike Young is looking forward to seeing the continued growth from his new-look team.
“Avdalas is still coming into his own,” Young said. “He’s immensely talented, needless to say. He’s an unbelievable playmaker. That will continue to improve as we go along. I’m thankful to coach him.”
The Steve Donahue era is off to a positive start for Saint Joseph’s (2-0), which has defeated Lafayette (85-76) and Drexel (76-65). Donahue, a former head coach at Cornell, Boston College and Penn, assumed the Hawks’ head role just over two months ago when previous head coach Billy Lange bolted for an assistant role with the New York Knicks.
In limited time with the group, Donahue is still acclimating himself to the specifics of his team’s identity.
“I think I’m probably putting too much into how I want the offense to look,” Donahue said. “I’m asking things that they’re probably not totally equipped for. It doesn’t mean we don’t play smart, it doesn’t mean we don’t cut or make good decisions, but the strength of this team is maybe different than I thought.”
La Salle transfer Deuce Jones II paces the Hawks with 15.5 points per game, followed by Dasear Haskins’ 14.5. Senior guard Derek Simpson leads the team with averages of 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
