Egor Demin scouting report: Why BYU's freshman is poised to be a lottery pick in 2025 NBA Draft
Each new college basketball season brings a new crop of college stars. Preseason NBA draft boards will change dramatically over the season as players break onto the scene. That’s been the case with BYU freshman Egor Demin, who appeared in the top four of Bleacher Report’s recent mock draft (up from 14 in BR’s previous mock).
The 6’9 Russian point guard has commanded BYU’s offense thus far in their first four wins. After starring for Real Madrid’s youth teams in the past, BYU has seen Demin continue his strong play. He’s been extremely impressive at the beginning of the season statistically. But how much of this is real? His tiny sample of games and low level of competition cast some doubt. We break down his game to see if there is truth behind the rise.
Igor Demin has shone for BYU in their last 4 games
In BYU’s win over Idaho (which Bart Torvik ranks 213th in the country), Demin tallied 16 points (5/8), 7 assists, 1 turnover, 2 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks. It can be challenging to evaluate Demin as an NBA prospect in this setting given the massive athletic disparity, but he still put his playmaking chops on display.
Through his first four games, Demin has established himself as a wicked passer off of a live dribble. His manipulation, vision and timing are all advanced for a teenage guard. Demin accesses every area of the court out of the pick and roll, confidently firing passes inside and out.
This clip illustrates Demin’s vision and skill as well as some of the troubles with scouting this level of competition. Demin bounces the pass to the roll man, but watch both Idaho guards completely abandon the play, resulting in a 1-on-2:
Demin will fire passes into airtight windows, showcasing the ambition requisite of elite lead initiators. His placement on this bounce pass to the roller is pristine, sneaking it right past the tagger:
His accuracy sometimes falters as Demin loves to pop passes up in the air and float them to the spot, which sometimes leaves the ball in harm’s way. He hasn’t been punished much against this competition to this point but he could in the future. His vision still impresses on this play, where Demin hits another great pick-and-roll read:
Here’s another example of Demin’s sometimes lofty passes, this time on a skip to the corner. Demin’s height allows him to pass over defenders with ease. When Idaho traps and forces a pickup, he flutters this ball to the corner for a good look:
Teams often exploit young ballhandlers’ inability to beat pressure and blitz looks, but Demin has thrived against doubles so far. His height certainly helps, but Demin’s zen in these situations is veteran. Take a look at the wicked angle on this pass, where Demin fakes to the roll before nailing the shooter:
His overhand passes, reminiscent of soccer throw-ins, flip the court and create advantage situations for teammates. Demin’s habit of picking the ball up early does leave some questions lingering, especially when the competition level improved, but these are high-level passes nonetheless:
Concerns around Egor Demin's game
Demin’s tendency to kill his dribble early can lead to turnovers and limit his ability to pressure the rim. He picks up the ball before making an ill-advised pass here, unable to extend his options with the live dribble:
His driving will likely determine Demin’s ceiling given how it could further unlock the driving. His finishing has been excellent thus far and he’s creating more paint touches than he did in the past, with 35% of his shots coming at the rim according to Synergy.
Demin has struggled to create consistent advantages in the past and his scoring has suffered for it. Early in his BYU career, Demin finished with touch and won downhill at times. He’ll attack big gaps after a ball screen, scooping the layup over the big:
The touch on this shot is impressive and Demin’s height allows him to get them off cleanly. His lack of vertical explosion could hinder him against better athletes in the Big 12. His 86.7% figure at the rim (per Bart Torvik) will probably regress, but here’s another tough Demin finish where he hangs in the air and scores over a defender on a cut:
Egor Demin's shooting is sharp and should translate well as NCAA season progresses
Demin’s shooting has been excellent so far this season, especially on pull-up threes in the pick-and-roll. He’s smoking overall, shooting 55% (11/20) on 9.3 attempts per 100 possessions. Demin fires with confidence from well beyond the college line, a good sign for his floor spacing upside. He’s deadly in early offenses where he can burn defenses scrambling to locate him:
His confidence in shooting from range will force teams to defend him far out, opening up bigger driving lanes. Look at how deep Demin sets up on this 3-pointer:
Egor Demin comes with defensive prowess that could raise his draft stock
Physical translation will determine much of Demin’s defensive impact, but he’s done well on that end so far. He’s a stock machine at this stage, posting a 4.2% steal rate and a 3.5% block rate at this point. His instincts are excellent, reacting quickly to steal this pass to the corner:
Just as he does on offense, Demin manipulates handlers into making poor decisions. He’s defending in help on this next clip, rotating down to protect the rim. He baits the handler to pass, which Demin tracks for a steal:
Those instincts paired with Demin’s size have allowed him to block shots at an impressive rate. We’ll see how his vertical pop holds up against power conference athletes, but he does well to sink down and erase shots at the rim:
His lack of strength will limit his ability to guard bigger players on the ball. It hurts his screen navigation as well, as hard picks knock Demin off of his path. He does a decent job recovering here, but he’s stuck on the screen for quite a while:
If Demin can continue to produce as he is deep into the season, he’ll contend to be a top-five pick in 2025. It’s a strong class, but Demin’s flashes suggest potential as a jumbo ballhandler. His scoring will determine whether he reaches that ceiling, but his performance thus far has been a joy to watch.