The preseason praise continues to come in for Egor Demin.
Expectations have been high for the highly-touted prospect since committing to play at BYU, with ESPN including him in its Monday list of the top 100 players in college basketball.
Demin was ranked as the No. 89 player in the nation and the No. 19 talent within the Big 12.
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“A Russia native who played extensive minutes at Real Madrid, Demin is expected to make a significant impact for Kevin Young’s first team at BYU,” wrote ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf. “At 6-9, he poses matchup problems for opponents, given his vision and ability to pick apart defenses via the pass or operating out of a pick-and-roll. He’ll have the ball in his hands often, and Young’s NBA-style offense will benefit from him too.”
Joining Demin on the list at No. 50 was former Cougar Jaxson Robinson, who transferred to Kentucky in the offseason to reunite with Mark Pope. Past Utah State players Max Shulga and Great Osobor came in at No. 79 and No. 30, respectively, and former Runnin’ Ute Deivon Smith was listed at No. 99.
The No. 1 player on the list is Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, with Kansas center Hunter Dickinson leading the Big 12 charge at No. 4.
Demin officially signed with BYU this past June as new head coach Kevin Young’s first major recruiting splash. He is considered one of the top prospects for next summer’s NBA draft, with Bleacher Report recently projecting him to be taken with the No. 14 overall selection by the Golden State Warriors.
“Provo is beautiful. I love this place. I feel great here,” Demin told BYU “Sports Nation” in August. “I really like the idea of how the coaches see me in the game and how they want to use me. This is my main idea too, to be everywhere, not just (play) one position. I want to do everything. I’m trying to be efficient in every action in the game.
“… My main goal is to win the championship of this league (Big 12). We are trying to get there. We want to work hard and (finish) as high as we can.”
