Egor Demin has been drafted by the Brooklyn Nets

Brigham Young Cougars guard Egor Demin (3) dunks the ball during a game between BYU and the Kansas State Wildcats at the Marriott Center on the campus of BYU in Provo on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025.

Egor Demin is headed east.

BYU’s star point guard has been selected by the Brooklyn Nets with the No. 8 pick in Wednesday’s NBA Draft.

As a freshman this past season, Demin started in 33 games for the Cougars and averaged 10.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists to earn All-Big 12 Honorable Mention status.

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In three NCAA Tournament contests, the Russian phenom scored 13.7 points per game with 17 total assists against six turnovers as BYU reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011.

Demin is the first BYU product to be drafted since Jimmer Fredette in 2011, as well as the 18th Cougars player drafted since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976.

“I just love this place so much,” Demin said of BYU upon declaring for the draft back in April. “Cougar Nation is a huge part of who I am now. … This place is full of smart people and dedicated people … trying to make you better, on the court, and off the court.”

Additionally, the Moscow native is the first Russian-born player to be selected in the NBA Draft since Sergey Karasev in 2013.

“If I can inspire kids back (in Russia) to work super hard and get on this level and believe that it can be real, that would be my best accomplishment over anything else, even over accomplishing my own dream of being an NBA player,” Demin told The Athletic.

Demin is the first top-10 pick for the Nets since 2010, when the franchise was based in New Jersey and took Derrick Favors at No. 3 overall.

Brooklyn went 26-56 and finished 12th in the Eastern Conference this past season. The Nets — who still have three additional picks in the first round — don’t currently have a true point guard on their roster, possibly allowing Demin to play meaningful minutes immediately as the team continues its rebuild.

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