North Carolina snags a towering transfer Neoklis Avdalas from a conference rival. This six-foot-nine guard ignites excitement for UNC's revamped roster and ACC ambitions.
The North Carolina Tar Heels are off and running under new head coach Michael Malone.
UNC had a busy Monday.
Per multiple reports, the Tar Heels are set to hire the former head coach of George Mason and Providence, Kim English, to be an assistant coach for the upcoming season.
English will help Malone navigate key goals like recruiting and the transfer portal.
On Monday, UNC landed a player from a rival ACC program.
Per Joe Tipton of On3, Virginia Tech transfer Neoklis Avdalas is committing to UNC. The six-foot-nine, 215-pound guard averaged 12.1 points and 4.6 assists per game for the 2025-26 campaign.
Fans on social media reacted to the news.
"Virginia Tech really watched their absolute best freshman drop 33 points in a game just to immediately pack his bags for a vastly superior basketball program," wrote a fan. "That entire athletic department is down astronomically right now."
"Lowkey a Huge pickup for UNC," argued a fan. "Neoklis Avdalas at 6’9 running the offense?? That is scary versatile… Acc better be ready, this one’s flying under the radar but won’t stay quiet for long."
"ACC going to be back next season...UNC coming, Duke will be Duke, Louisville loading up, Virginia solid, Miami bringing the heat .... man it's going to be crazy, I love it," believes a poster.
"Get ready for the softest player in D1. Better hope he never sees a press, double team, or consistent ball pressure. And don’t even think about asking him to drive through contact!" commented a fan.
"Michael Malone building his UNC roster piece by piece through the portal and Avdalas is another signal that Chapel Hill is serious about this rebuild," wrote another.
"Get ready to learn Michael Malone everyone. The brand of UNC coupled with a NBA champion head coach is inevitable," believes a fan.
"In less than a week, UNC has signed one of the most sought after transfer guard prospects, added Kim English to the coaching staff, & more."
Avdalas is a key pickup for Malone and the new program. UNC didn't stop there on Monday.
The program got more good news, with Jarin Stevenson set to return for next season, per On3.