March Madness is one of the most intense, heart-racing, and heart-breaking times for basketball fans. We anticipate the annual 12-over-5 seed upset and the exciting game winners. That's for the fans, though.
For the players involved, the stakes are even higher. They can rewrite the script themselves and elevate their draft stock. 6-foot-9 Egor Demin is out to prove why he shouldn't drop out of the top 10. As a high-feel playmaker, he wants to establish why he was labeled a consensus can't-miss prospect before the college season began.
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Egor Demin's draft stock rises during BYU's win over VCU
Jumbo playmakers are the name of the game in the NBA. From Cade Cunningham, LaMelo Ball, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, and LeBron James, oversized ball handlers are keys to unlocking the door of elite offenses.
That's not to say all those teams have great offenses (you need great teammates for that), but come playoff time, it's easier for these jumbo players to see over the inevitable double teams, mismatch hunt, and scan the floor.
Demin is comparable to those stars as a lengthy ball handler. That was part of the intrigue from scouts coming into the year. You have a do-it-all playmaker who towers over defenders. He began his college career toying with defenses, but that changed once BYU's competition heightened.
Over a 10-game stretch of Big 12 hoops, Demin didn't look like a first-round pick. Poor shooting, inability to get by defenders, losing his man, and rapid turnovers plagued this stretch.
As we approached money time (March), the high-feel floor reader returned to what got scouts talking. Demin helped lead BYU to a nine-game winning streak. He made the right plays a playmaker makes and turned the ball over less. He's not a sturdy on-ball defender, but like Cunningham, Demin uses his height to sway shots at the rim.
His shooting is a question mark, but the first round VCU matchup may change some thoughts on him.
BYU freshman Egor Demin puts up 15 on 6-10 FG in his March Madness debut 🔥 pic.twitter.com/rMkut40mUP
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) March 20, 2025
Demin converted on three triples for the first time since Jan. 25. Is it a coincidence that he stepped up in the biggest moment of his American career so far? I think not. He's only comparable to those aforementioned jumbo playmakers because of the size and feel for the game. Demin is a quick decision-maker but needs to be stronger, more consistent, and a more reliable handle. That handle will make shots at the rim easier to alleviate his streaky shooting.
Size is hard to pass on, though. Demin's potential is evident, and if he puts it all together, he could have a similar arc to Chicago Bulls Josh Giddey. Giddey is enjoying a career year as he holds the keys in Chicago. Demin is slightly bigger than Giddey and not quite the passer, but his processing is his most intriguing factor.
If the shotmaking continues over the tournament, scouts may consider Demin a big-game player with the feel and the potential to be a solid contributor on an NBA team. I doubt he will recapture that top-5 hype, but he could sneak back into top-10 mocks with a steady tournament run.