BYU star Egor Demin is declaring for the 2025 NBA Draft after a standout freshman season, he announced Tuesday. The 6-foot-9 guard is regarded as a potential lottery pick after earning Big 12 All-Freshman honors for the Cougars.
The rangy Russian just turned 19 in March and wowed scouts with his feel for the college game after spending time in the Real Madrid developmental pipeline in Spain. Demin finished fourth in the Big 12 in assists per game at 5.5 while averaging just 27.5 minutes amid his acclimation to the American game.
Demin also averaged 10.6 points and 3.9 rebounds as a key cog in the Cougars’ Sweet 16 run. While Demin hit just 27.3% of his 3-point attempts, he showed promise as a finisher at the rim, where he took 35.9% of his shots.
With a natural facilitating feel and rare size for a ball-handler, Demin could blossom into a starting NBA guard as he continues to add strength and develop his outside shot.
Egor Demin’s NBA Draft projection
Demin ranks No. 9 in the 2025 CBS Sports NBA Draft Prospect Rankings and went in the back end of the 1-14 lottery range in recent CBS Sports mock drafts.
CBS Sports draft analyst Adam Finkelstein referred to Demin as an “exceptionally polarizing prospect” in his most recent mock draft, which had Demin going No. 12 overall to the Dallas Mavericks.
“His perimeter size, floor vision, and passing ability are elite, but it’s hard to call him a big point guard until he can handle the ball against pressure more consistently,” Finkelstein wrote. “The fact that his jump shot is even more inconsistent is another deterrent, but the Mavs could use both a ball-mover and a high upside youngster.”
Impact on BYU
Demin helped establish BYU as a destination for high-caliber talent in coach Kevin Young’s first season, and the Cougars capitalized on his abilities by reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011. Given Young’s extensive NBA background and Demin’s development in the program, it was a productive partnership. With No. 1 overall prospect AJ Dybantsa committed as part of BYU’s No. 11 ranked 2025 recruiting class, it’s clear the Cougars have the financial resources and reputation to continue landing big-time prospects.
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