2025 NBA Draft: Egor Demin Brings Point Guard Skills With a Small Forward Frame

The Russian-born lead initiator has every bit of talent needed to star in his first collegiate season.

Mar 25, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; A general view of an official NBA game basketball in the second quarter of a game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Charlotte Hornets at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Upon watching 2024-25 BYU signee Egor Demin's tape, a few things stand out immediately.

The first is the fluidity with which he moves at 6-foot-9; he has a power forward's height, and though he is very slight of frame at just 190 pounds, he has the true ability to navigate through defenses using an elite handle, especially for someone his size.

In this new era of basketball, the age of the "Jumbo Creator" is here – Demin fits that mold as an overgrown guard with a real ability to make the right reads off the bounce on top of true scoring upside..

The second thing that pops is his face-up game – he has a flurry of moves that he's able to use to put defenders on their heels, including fakes and jab-steps that give him room to operate offensively, often giving him an advantage when putting the ball on the deck and attacking the rim.

Demin is very comfortable leading an offense, and for Real Madrid Baloncesto B, where he played before committing to the Cougars, he not only distributed from the lead guard spot, but also managed to score fairly easily.

Though he is not an elite shooter at this point in his career, the shooting stroke is definitely there. He is seemingly much more comfortable attempting to score the basketball with the ball in his hands, there is potential for him to become a solid catch-and-shoot threat.

Given BYU's roster construction, where Demin will be one of three point guards, meaning he will play some off-ball minutes. Entering their second year in a newly revamped Big XII, the Cougars will have to play a gauntlet of tough games, matchups with several teams that will be ranked in the preseason Top 25.

Additionally, he's a very high-feel defender, one who gets into passing lanes and forces live-ball turnovers. His size and length are attributes that lend themselves to disruptive play, especially when defending small guards. He invades their space and smothers them, often forcing them to pass out of a possession.

The biggest foreseeable problem with Demin is his shooting inconsistency. He was unable to hit threes with any kind of efficiency throughout his young career, occasionally showing flashes, but never having the percentages to back it up.

In Kevin Young's system, hopefully he will be given easier shots. When the looks start falling for Egor Demin, watch out – he could contend for a lottery pick in this class.

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