High-profile BYU commit is a bad look for Kentucky coach Mark Pope

Big Blue Nation has been skeptical of the BYU coach and Kentucky alumnus Mark Pope getting hired to replace John Calipari from the jump. Now, the fan base may feel validated after seeing the Cougars land one of the top 2024-25 recruits.

On Tuesday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Egor Demin of Real Madrid, a projected 2025 NBA Draft lottery selection, has committed to BYU. 

Wojnarowski refers to Demin as "one of the most talented recruits in program history." After poaching Pope from BYU, Kentucky sees his heir apparent, Kevin Young, successfully recruit a player that could've helped Kentucky. Yikes. That must sting if you're a fan of the Wildcats. 

To make matters worse, Mitch Harper of KSLsports.com mentioned schools like Illinois and Calipari's Arkansas as other options Demin considered -- Kentucky was not listed.

High-profile BYU commit is a bad look for Kentucky coach Mark Pope

Demin, 18, averaged 15.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.1 steals while shooting 42.1 percent from the field for Real Madrid in 2023-24. As Wojnarowski points out, he is a 6-foot-9 guard. Yes, that is not a typo. 

The Russian has a distinct advantage as a shot-maker and distributor of the basketball thanks to his size. His unique blend of length, athleticism and court vision enables him to thrive as an offensive playmaker while guarding multiple positions on the defensive end of the floor.

An incredibly talented and versatile young player, Demin saw an opportunity to play for a former NBA coach in Young at BYU. As someone who played professionally overseas before committing to play college basketball, it is a logical pairing. Still, it doesn't hurt less if you're a Kentucky supporter. Moreover, this assuredly can't make Big Blue Nation feel good about the recruiting battle taking shape between Pope and Calipari over five-star prospect Will Riley.

Regardless of the situation, the optics of Pope and Kentucky missing out on a high-profile prospect to BYU is a tough pill to swallow.