North Carolina’s preseason media roll continues, and on Monday it was two transfer guards stepping to the microphone at the Smith Center.
Angelo Brizzi and Neo Avdalas met with reporters as the Tar Heels move deeper into the buildup to the Michel Malone era, which is set to formally open against Western Carolina on November 2.
Brizzi arrives in Chapel Hill after a winding college path. The 6-foot-3 guard was a 4-star prospect in the class of 2021 and was recruited by UNC before starting at Villanova.
His time there was limited: he redshirted as a freshman, then appeared in only nine games as a redshirt freshman. From there, he transferred each year, spending one season apiece at Davidson, Longwood and Buffalo.
His most productive stretch came last season at Buffalo, where he started all 32 games and put up 14.5 points, 1.8 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 48.0% from the field and 37.3% from 3-point range, going 50-for-134. He also hit 83.4% of his free throws in 29.8 minutes per game.
Brizzi finished especially strong. Over Buffalo’s final 10 games, he averaged 20.5 points, 2.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 3.1 turnovers and 1.6 steals while shooting 46.8% from the field and 38.3% from deep, making 23 of 60 from beyond the arc.
Avdalas, meanwhile, comes in after a full season at Virginia Tech in which he started all 31 games. The 6-foot-9 guard averaged 12.1 points, 4.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds while shooting 38.6% overall and 31.4% from 3-point range. He was named ACC Rookie of the Week twice.
His numbers in conference play were similar in volume but dipped in efficiency. Against ACC competition, Avdalas averaged 10.8 points, shot 35.1% from the field and 28.1% from 3, going 25-for-89, while also averaging 2.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists.
At Virginia Tech, he had a few big scoring nights to go with a steady playmaking load. Avdalas scored 30 or more points twice, 20 or more three times, 15 or more eight times and reached double figures in 18 games. He also pulled down seven or more rebounds three times and five or more rebounds seven times, while dishing out eight or more assists four times, six or more assists 12 times and four or more assists 19 times.
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UNCs staff has been building a relationship with Betts while schools like Michigan and Illinois have already hosted him, and Alabama is also lined up for a future visit. For the Tar Heels, getting in early matters with a player of that size and ceiling, because the race for elite frontcourt talent tends to move fast once the major programs start pressing their cases. [Read more 🡒]
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Belichicks Tar Heels Just Got A Brutal Reality Check Against Notre Dame
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The market has Notre Dame favored by about three touchdowns, with a spread sitting around 21 points and the money line reflecting just how steep the challenge is for UNC. For a Tar Heels team trying to measure itself under Belichick, this game offers a blunt snapshot of where things stand right now and how far there still may be to go. [Read more 🡒]