BYU basketball just landed one of the biggest prospects in school history. 2025 NBA prospect Egor Demin committed to the Cougars on Tuesday, per ESPN. Demin is considered a possible NBA lottery pick in the 2025 class.
Demin is a 6-foot-9 guard who has tremendous size for his position. The prospect is from Russia, and is currently playing in Spain for the Real Madrid team. He is used primarily as a shooting guard. Demin joins the first recruiting class of new BYU basketball coach Kevin Young.
BYU's basketball transition
BYU basketball is going through a major change in 2024, as new coach Kevin Young joins the program. Young leads the Cougars after serving as an assistant coach of the NBA's Phoenix Suns. At his introductory press conference, Young talked about building a NBA pipeline at the school. He seems to be putting his money where his mouth is, as Demin is considered by many to be a future NBA player.
BYU basketball offered Demin just a few days ago, so the school made quick work in landing him. The flashy shooting guard joins a Cougars team rebuilding after the loss of former coach Mark Pope, who left to take the Kentucky basketball job this offseason. Young has never been a college head coach, but has worked as an assistant for both the Suns and the Philadelphia 76ers since 2016.
Demin joins a 2024 BYU basketball recruiting class that features four other players. The Cougars signed three-star players Brooks Bahr and Brody Kozlowski, per 247. The school is also bringing in transfer center Keba Keita from Utah, another three-star. The Cougars also have a commitment from point guard Elijah Crawford from powerhouse Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. Crawford is expected to compete this season for the starting job at point.
BYU's season outlook
The Cougars are in their second season in the powerful Big 12 conference. BYU made the NCAA tournament last year, losing in the Round of 64 to Duquesne in an upset. Expectations are high in Provo that the school will be able to make March Madness once again, but the conference is in flux. The Big 12 lost Texas and Oklahoma after last year. The league also now gains Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah. The league is also going to 20 conference games, which many consider to be a brutal undertaking.
Demin will most likely enter the program as an immediate starter. He is considered a one-and-done player. The Cougars are also still in the mix to keep Jaxson Robinson, who played for Mark Pope last season. Robinson is in the transfer portal, and also put his name in the NBA Draft. He averaged 14 points a game last season and led BYU in scoring. Robinson is considering a return to the school, but may end up at Kentucky with Pope if he doesn't stay in the draft. Time will tell what the future holds for Robinson, but BYU basketball fans would love to see Demin and Robinson run the floor together.
It's certainly an exciting time to be a BYU fan.