NBA Draft: BYU Guard Egor Demin Struggles in Loss

Five-star guard Egor Demin struggled in a loss to Providence on Tuesday.

Dec 3, 2024; Providence, Rhode Island, USA; Brigham Young Cougars guard Egor Demin (3) dribbles against Providence Friars guard Bensley Joseph (7) during the second half at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Through a handful of games, Egor Demin has been one of the NBA Draft hemisphere’s biggest surprises.

Coming into a Tuesday-night game against the Providence Friars, Demin had averaged 14.3 points, 6.3 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game, shooting 57% overall, all numbers fairly indicative of a top-five draft spot.

Tuesday, though, didn’t quite go his way.

Across 22 minutes, Demin shot 0-for-10 from the floor, missing on all five of his attempts from beyond the arc. He scored just six points in total, all from the line, and added three rebounds, two assists and one turnover.

Even worse, the Cougars suffered a 19-point loss to Providence, their second on the season.

While the game was an obvious stain on an otherwise great start to his season, there were just a few caveats to it. Firstly, Demin’s shot difficulty was exceptionally high as far as just 10 shots go, with step-back threes, contested mid-range buckets and floaters send wide right. While that could be more of a knock on his shot-selection, he at least wasn’t missing massively easy shots.

Secondly, despite his 0-fer night from the field, he was still able to impact the game some, albeit in small ways. He contested plenty of shots on the other end of the court with his length, and still managed to dish some nice passes and come down with boards.

Demin, whose stock is now wavering some after three quiet games in a row, will look to bounce back against Fresno State on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 8 p.m.

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