Egor Demin Becomes Highest BYU NBA Draft Pick in Two Decades originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Egor Demin’s basketball journey is only beginning, but the 19-year-old guard from Moscow is already making history. The Brooklyn Nets selected the former BYU standout with the No. 8 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night at Barclays Center. Demin is the first BYU player drafted since Jimmer Fredette in 2011 and the highest since Rafael Araujo was selected eighth overall in 2004.
“For me, it’s a great opportunity to be with a team where I will be able to develop myself and also impact the game in the ways I can,” Demin said after donning his new Nets cap. “This is a historical club. A lot of Russian players have gone through this organization, and I’m so honored to be a part of it.”
The 6-foot-9 point guard made an immediate impact in his lone season at BYU. He averaged 10.6 points, 5.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals across 33 starts, earning All-Big 12 Freshman Team honors and helping lead the Cougars to their first Sweet 16 appearance since Fredette’s run in 2011.
A former Real Madrid youth academy product, Demin quickly earned a reputation as one of the best passers in college basketball. He broke BYU’s freshman assist record with 180 on the season, which was good for sixth all-time in program history, and recorded a school-record 11 assists in his debut game. He is just the fourth freshman at BYU to post multiple double-digit assist performances.
“The passing is something that I was always doing. This is who I am, who I’m trying to be,” Demin said. “I believe in the game of basketball as a creative place; it’s like art for me.” While his shooting remains an area for development, he hit just 27% from three, Demin showed flashes of growth, including a 43% performance from deep in BYU’s NCAA Tournament win over VCU.
Off the court, Demin embraced his time at BYU, despite not being a member of the university’s sponsoring faith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He credited the school and community for his personal growth.
“I’m living my best life being a BYU student and a BYU player,” he said during the NCAA Tournament. “To be here next to my teammates and around them, I feel like it’s home. It’s a big family.” Demin celebrated his draft night alongside BYU head coach Kevin Young, women’s basketball standout Delaney Gibb, and former Cougar Travis Hansen.
“He’s obviously a great basketball player, but he’s an even better person,” Gibb said. “I think wherever he goes, he’s going to be great.” With elite court vision, size, and a high basketball IQ, Demin now takes the next step, as he heads to Brooklyn to begin his NBA career.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.