Illinois basketball has a possible transfer portal target hit the open market

The Illinois basketball team is going to have some tough decisions to make with the possibility of losing both of their starting guards this offseason.

It will be a rather interesting hill to climb for the Illini, as senior Kylan Boswell and freshman Keaton Wagler are expected to depart due to graduation and the NBA Draft. They will need to find two new bodies to hopefully fill their shoes, especially when it comes to Wagler's dynamic scoring ability.

The Illini will need to do their due diligence after the tournament when it comes to researching who they will bring into the fold. But this past Friday, a major target may have just hit their board with Virginia Tech's Neoklis Avadalas announcing his entrance into the transfer portal.

Avdalas, a 6-foot-9 guard from Kalamata, Greece, was one of the top recruited players on the international scene prior to signing with the Virginia Tech Hokies. According to 247sports, Avdalas was not only a five-star recruit but also the No. 2 international newcomer in their 2025 recruiting class.

In 31 games played for the Hokies, Avdalas was able to record a respectable 12.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game on 38.6% shooting from the field. He showed that he could be a dynamic scorer in the ACC, with stellar performances that include a 33-point masterclass against Providence, as well as a 30-point night vs. Western Carolina.

The 'Greek of Nature' has a lot of upside that could help the Illinois basketball program

Prior to the start of the NCAA tournament, the Illini were listed as the tallest team in the field with an average height of 80.0 inches. They are a massive group of individuals, with the Ivisic brothers, Tomislav and Zvonimir, measuring the tallest at 7-foot-1 and 7-foot-2, respectively.

The size of the Illini is a definite advantage for Brad Underwood's bunch, and they could get even bigger with the addition of Avdalas. He would be the perfect lanky guard who could score from all three levels and whose size would add another dimension to Illinois' offense.

The problem, however, is that Avdalas didn't show much consistency in his first year with Virginia Tech. He had impressive moments, like in the aforementioned Providence and Western Carolina games, but he also had six and eight-point stinkers against George Mason and VCU.

This could be something that would turn some teams away, but it also just shows that he has a very high floor and an even higher ceiling. It shows that the potential is certainly there; Avdalas just needs a bit of development to help hone his skills.

Granted, there is a chance that this is the most any program could get out of Avdalas. But regardless of that, he should still be a mid-to-high tier target in the transfer portal for the Illini based on his potential. If the young man can put up 12 points per game on the low end, then who knows what he could accomplish in a new place with a coaching staff like Illinois?