Egor Demin is not your typical NBA Draft prospect. The 6’9″ Russian guard, projected as the No. 13 pick in the latest ESPN mock draft, brings a rare mix of size and playmaking.
After choosing to spend his lone collegiate season with BYU, Demin averaged 10.6 points, 5.5 assists, 3.9 rebounds and shot 41.2 percent from the field. Though his outside shooting (27.3% from three-point range) remains a work in progress, his playmaking stood out in the Cougars’ first season under head coach Kevin Young.
Despite receiving offers from top NCAA programs, Demin opted to join a rebuilding BYU group in a stacked Big 12 Conference. He finished with All-Big 12 honorable mention honors and made the All-Freshman team. However, questions remain about how he will hold up physically at the next level.
Coach Points to Physicality as Biggest Question for Egor Demin
Veteran NBA insider David Aldridge, writing for The Athletic, recently spoke with several college coaches and NBA personnel who had either faced or closely scouted this year’s top prospects.
One assistant coach, who faced BYU last season, offered an honest evaluation of Demin that could determine his early pro ceiling.
“The NBA guys were asking me, ‘Well, what worries you?’ It’s so physical in the NBA. He’ll have to get adjusted to that, because he’s light in the a** that way,” the assistant coach said.
“I think he’s going to just have to figure that out. Once he does that, he’ll be fine. Probably will wind up being a backup point guard for some years, because he’s got size, he can make shots. And he can really pass.”
Draft stock: Rising📈
2025 @NBADraft Tape: Egor Demin#Big12MBB | @OldTrapper | @BYUMBB pic.twitter.com/bSJvz9rXgS
— Big 12 Studios (@big12studios) June 20, 2025
Despite everything, the assistant coach left impressed. According to him, Demin stayed composed, no matter what pressure he faced. They trapped him, switched on him, and changed coverages, but he kept making the right plays. He saw the floor, passed with both hands, and adjusted quickly.
The coach saw flashes of Josh Giddey and thinks Demin’s shot will improve. The frame needs time, but the feel is already there.
Demin Has Been Drawing Early Comparisons to Josh Giddey
It is easy to see why Demin draws comparisons to Giddey. Both are tall, pass-first guards with high basketball IQs and a natural feel for the game.
Demin is slightly taller and has a longer wingspan, though, like Giddey, he is still developing as a shooter and on-ball defender.
Keep Reading: ‘There Is Nobody Like Luka (Dončić)’ – NBA Draft Prospect Egor Demin Dismisses Bold Comparison With Lakers Superstar
Their journeys to the NBA have been different. Giddey came up through Australia’s NBL, while Demin spent three years in Real Madrid’s youth system – the same program that produced Luka Doncic. He did not dominate at the level Doncic did, but those years gave him a solid base before making the leap to college basketball at BYU.
Demin is not a finished product, but the foundation is hard to ignore. If the shooting comes and the frame fills out, then he could turn heads long after his name is called on June 26 at the 2025 NBA Draft.
