Hokies freshman point guard Neoklis Avdalas earned ACC Player of the Week honors on Monday, the conference announced.
Avdalas was named Co-Player of the Week and Co-Freshman of the Week after the first two games of the 2025-26 season, awards he shared with North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson. The Tar Heels' freshman had 46 points on 17-for-21 shooting while adding 11 rebounds and seven assists in wins over Central Arkansas and Kansas.
Avdalas hit the ground running in Blacksburg with an eight-point, nine-assist, three-rebound and two-block outing in the Hokies' season-opening win over Charleston Southern on Monday. He became the program's third player with nine-plus assists in an opener since joining the ACC in 2004, joining Jamon Gordon (2004) and Sean Pedulla (2023).
The 19-year-old leveled up in Saturday's victory over Providence at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., dropping 33 points on the Friars. It was the most points by a freshman in Division I last week.
He accomplished that on 13-for-23 shooting, including a 5-for-8 mark from 3-point range, and also posted six assists, five rebounds, a block and a steal with just two turnovers.
It was the first 30-point game by a Tech freshman since Landers Nolley in 2019, and the first by any Hokies player on a neutral court since Hunter Cattoor's 31 in the 2022 ACC Tournament final.
Moreover, the Kalamata, Greece, native joined A.D. Vassallo, Malcolm Delaney and Keve Aluma as Tech players since 2004 with at least 30 points, five rebounds and five assists in a game.
"Some of the things that Avdalas did tonight don't require a lot of coaching," Hokies head coach Mike Young said after beating the Friars. "That's a good player rising up and making a big basketball play. ... He's an unbelievable playmaker."
He's the first Tech player to earn league honors since Sean Pedulla was named ACC Player of the Week on Jan. 15, 2024. Nolley was the last Hokie to be named the rookie of the week (2019), and Avdalas is the fifth in all, joining Vassallo (2006), Jeff Allen (2008) and Kerry Blackshear Jr. (2015).