In the wake of Virginia Tech's first-round loss to Wake Forest in the ACC tournament earlier this month, two members of its back court are on their way out. Guards Neoklis Avdalas and Izaiah Pasha both intend to enter their names into the transfer portal when it opens on April 7.
Avdalas arrived in Blacksburg with plenty of fanfare after playing professionally in Greece. His performance overseas helped buoy his NBA aspirations, and he was slotted as a near-lock to be a lottery draft pick later this year. Despite the excitement around his addition to Mike Young's roster, though, the 20-year-old largely failed to live up to expectations during his brief stint with the Hokies. In total, he averaged 12.1 points, 4.5 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 32 minutes per game.
The freshman wasted little time in making his presence felt. Courtesy of a 33-point outing with five three-pointers against Providence in November, Avdalas' hype train was running full steam ahead, garnering national attention. That performance, however, marked the peak of his time wearing the maroon and orange. Over the remainder of the season, he scored more than 20 points just twice. After the start of the new year, his shooting percentage deteriorated quickly, as he struggled to find his rhythm on the floor, regardless of the lineup that he played in. He made critical gaffs in clutch moments, only adding to his difficulties.
Despite picking up his performance somewhat in February and into early March, particularly in his passing game, the writing was on the wall. Head coach Mike Young seemingly confirmed the trajectory of his freshman when during the Hokies' ACC tournament loss to Wake Forest on March 10 when he sat Avdalas for the final 7:37 of regulation and the entire five-minute overtime period.
The first Hokie to depart from Blacksburg this year, Delaware transfer Izaiah Pasha couldn't get over the hump to see meaningful minutes off the bench.
The former Blue Hen arrived on campus coming off of a CAA Rookie of the Year season in which he after averaged 11.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. He never could find the same path while at Virginia Tech, though, playing in just 18 games and averaging 2.0 points per game. In a system in which guards must be capable of shooting and distributing at a high level, and playing behind Ben Hammond, Jaden Schutt, and Avdalas, Pasha was buried in the depth chart and didn't play much of a role throughout the season.
