<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-8
<SEQUENCE>3
<FILENAME>ex8.txt
<DESCRIPTION>TAX OPINION
<TEXT>







                                    EXHIBIT 8

<PAGE>






                            CARTER, LEDYARD & MILBURN
                                COUNSELORS AT LAW
                                  2 WALL STREET
                            NEW YORK, N.Y. 10005-2072

                                   -----------

                                 (212) 732-3200
                               FAX (212) 732-3232


                                  June 8, 2001

Avnet, Inc.
2211 South 47th Street
Phoenix, Arizona  85034

               Re:    Registration Statement No. 333-58852
                      ------------------------------------

Ladies and Gentlemen:

        We have acted as counsel to Avnet, Inc. (the "Company"), in connection
with the proposed offer and sale of up to 1,957,720 shares of Common Stock of
the Company (the "Shares") issuable upon exercise of director and employee stock
options and a stock purchase warrant issued by Kent Electronics Corporation
("Kent"). The offer and sale of the Shares are the subject of post-effective
amendment no.1 on Form S-3 (the "Amendment") to the Registration Statement on
Form S-4 (Registration No. 333-58852) filed by the Company in connection with
the Company's acquisition of Kent.

        We have examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified
to our satisfaction, of all such agreements, certificates and other statements
of corporate officers and other representatives of the Company as we have deemed
necessary as a basis for this opinion. In such examination we have assumed the
genuineness of all signatures and the authenticity of all documents submitted to
us as originals and the conformity with the originals of all documents submitted
to us as copies.

        Based on and subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the
section entitled "Federal Income Tax Considerations" in the Amendment contains
an accurate general description, under currently applicable law, of the
principal United States federal income tax considerations that apply to
purchasers of the Shares pursuant to the exercise of the options and the warrant
described in the Amendment.

        We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Amendment
and to the reference to us in the section entitled "Federal Income Tax
Considerations" in the Amendment. In giving this consent we do not acknowledge
that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required by the
Securities Act or the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

                                            Very truly yours,

                                              /s/Carter, Ledyard & Milburn

HJB/

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