BYU’s Egor Demin Explained Decision To Declare For 2025 NBA Draft
Apr 8, 2025, 3:39 PM
PROVO, Utah – BYU basketball guard Egor Demin is off to the NBA.
BYU fans hoped the smooth-operating 6-foot-9 guard would surprise everyone and run it back one more year in Provo. However, he decided that the NBA was the next move in his basketball career.
The Moscow, Russia native projects as a lock for the first round. It’s only a question of how high he can climb.
Demin discussed his decision on Tuesday at the Marriott Center Annex with mentor and former BYU basketball star and mentor Travis Hansen to his right, and BYU head coach Kevin Young to his left.
Egor Demin declared for the 2025 NBA Draft
“I’m super excited to announce that I will be putting my name in the 2025 NBA Draft. It’s another challenge that I’m willing to take, and I’m not scared of any troubles that I could meet on this path.”
Demin noted that this was a “really hard decision” and that it was “scary” because he was unsure of the future.
What was interesting during Demin’s declaration of a future in the NBA was that he thanked BYU’s President, Shane Reese, and even members of the athletic department, Tom Holmoe and Brian Santiago.
Demin also thanked Kevin Young.
Egor Demin thanked BYU coach Kevin Young for the past season.
"Your background is amazing for me and anybody considering BYU. … So much information and knowledge to me to absorb like a sponge. You gave me everything you could. I'm super grateful for that."
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) April 8, 2025
“It’s hard for me to find the right words, and it’s hard for me to find enough words to say how grateful I am to you for everything we’ve done this season,” Demin said to Young. “Again, for this huge chance for me and trusting myself, bringing me on the team, and giving me this opportunity to be a part of this amazing group of people.”
The former Real Madrid star, who has been playing at a high level of basketball since he was 15 years old, then gave a pitch to current and future players on playing for Kevin Young.
“Obviously, your background is amazing for me and anybody who’s on the team or considering BYU or anything, it was so much information and knowledge to me, just to soak it in myself as a sponge, and that was my goal, just to be here and get everything I can from you, and you gave me everything you could, and I’m super grateful for that.”
Demin shared messages in Spanish for his Real Madrid teammates and another in Russian for his family in Moscow.
Difficult decision
He went on to say that the decision was difficult.
“My heart was pulling me back here super hard, because I just love this place so much, and everything and everybody here means everything to me, and it’s hard to even express how important this year was for me.”
During his one season at BYU, Demin averaged 10.6 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game. He was part of a BYU team that reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the first time in 14 years, and delivered the program’s highest final AP Top 25 ranking since that 2011 season led by Jimmer Fredette.
Coincidentally, Demin will be BYU’s first NBA draft pick since Fredette 14 years ago as well.
Despite only one year in Provo, he noted that he is “willing to represent the BYU logo and BYU name everywhere I go.”
Thank you, BYU 💙 pic.twitter.com/Gg3WMY3N3m
— Egor Demin (@whoisegor3) April 8, 2025
Demin is the first one-and-done player at BYU to declare for the NBA Draft since Shawn Bradley. Bradley played a season at BYU, then served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, before declaring for the league.
Speaking of faith, Demin, who isn’t a member of the Church, was asked how his faith and relationship with God have grown during his time at BYU.
“It’s a huge part of my development here, and I was coming here with faith, and I’m leaving here with a bigger faith and a stronger faith in God and that good can happen if you believe in that, and if you pray, if you dedicate it to the Lord, and if you trust him.”
The 2025 NBA Draft occurs on Wednesday, June 25 and 26 in Brooklyn, New York.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
