Egor Demin Lifts BYU to NCAA Tournament Win

A five-star true freshman who’s seen the highest of highs and lowest of lows for BYU this season, Egor Demin saw one of his best performances to date on Thursday.

At 6-foot-9, Demin has long been on NBA Draft radars, owning an unorthodox, guard-like skillset and some of the better passing in the entire class. Despite that and his current lottery grade per most draft experts, he’s seen some real lulls this season that have caused many to validly question his consistency.

Demin’s challenges this season were made worth it against VCU on Thursday, as the jumbo guard scored 15 points on 6-for-11 shooting, adding four rebounds and two assists in helping the BYU Cougars to their first tournament win this March.

Despite lower shooting percentages overall this year — 41% from the field and 27% from three — Demin shot with confidence against the Rams. He hit on three of his seven attempted triples, helping to open his passing game and create more offense for BYU. The Cougars would go on to win, 80-71, to advance to the second round.

Of all the prospects needing to see solid games in March, Demin nearly stands at the top, having seen his fair share of less performances so far this season. His skill-based game at 6-foot-9 is sure to be tantalizing for NBA teams this June, but he’s had plenty of blunders throughout his lone collegiate season.

Per an earlier scouting report from NBA Draft on SI regarding Demin: “Demin is still developing his 3-point shot, but is making progress. The more he’s able to knock down those looks, the more his mid-range and driving game will open up. It will also allow him to be more effective off-ball, further enhancing his versatility.”

While grabbing one win certainly helps Demin’s stock, the Cougars aren’t done just yet, and will next take on Wisconsin in the round of 32.