BYU to Brooklyn: Egor Demin where he needs to be in representing Kevin Young era

PROVO — Egor Demin's projection as an NBA prospects began before he got to BYU, took over during his lone season with the Cougars, and officially began when he was selected with the No. 8 overall pick of NBA draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

That's the same building where his playing career will likely begin, too.

The 6-foot-9 guard from Moscow, Russia, was the Nets' first of a historic five selections in the first round of the draft Wednesday night, which included four guards. It's the first time an NBA team has made five first-round selections without a trade in draft history.

Demin hadn't spent a lot of time in New York City before hearing his name called on his soon-to-be home court. The 19-year-old who left home at 16 to join the Real Madrid basketball academy in Spain worked out with the Nets for a day before the draft, and BYU played in the Sweet 16 just over the Hudson River in Newark, New Jersey.

But when he arrived in the city that never sleeps for the draft, he felt right at home.

"It reminds me a little bit of Moscow, of my hometown, just in the case of how active it is," Demin told reporters after the draft. "All the town is alive. So many people, cars, all that.

"There's just something I like. This town, it never stops. This is something that I like about this place. It's really alive. Obviously, a lot of Russian restaurants that I'm happy to visit. That's the first thing I'm going to do probably."

Brooklyn is also home to one of the larger Russian American communities in the United States at Brighton Beach, a neighborhood in the southern portion of the borough not far from Coney Island and Manhattan Beach.

But his most-viewed games on NBA League Pass perspective may have an 801 area code attached, with BYU fans following the one-year alum's journey to the pros.

Demin is the first draft pick under rising second-year BYU coach Kevin Young, who came to the university after a decade in the NBA with promises of producing draft picks — just like he did Wednesday night.

"This is an amazing place, and has been for a long time," Young said during his introductory press conference a little over a year ago. "What I want to do to take it to the next level is make this place the best place in college basketball to prepare young men to play in the NBA. I think with my background, I think we're going to be able to get that done — and I really look forward to doing that."

Young stands to add to that collection as soon as next year with top recruit-turned BYU freshman and projected top NBA draft pick AJ Dybantsa (and potentially others).

One year — as well as a top-four finish in the Big 12 and a Sweet 16 appearance — into his tenure, the former highest-paid NBA assistant coach is already making good on his promises.

As an international prospect, Demin didn't have to come to college basketball before entering the NBA draft. Fellow Real Madrid alum Hugo González was also drafted Wednesday night by the Boston Celtics with the 28th overall pick.

But Young's unique blend of pre-professional development, a coaching and support staff with varied experience across several levels of basketball — both domestically and internationally — and the unique nature of the university made BYU an attractive option to prepare for his NBA dreams.

It also doesn't hurt that he developed a strong personal relationship with BYU's Delaney Gibb, a rising star on the women's basketball team who was recently named to the Canadian senior squad for the FIBA Women's AmeriCup in Santiago, Chile.

The adjustment from Europe to American basketball in the college system boosted him to become BYU's first draft pick since Jimmer Fredette in 2011 — and highest since Rafael Araujo in 2004.

"Obviously the Big 12, it's one of the strongest conferences," Demin said of the competition he faced the past year. "Playing against teams like Houston, Iowa State, Arizona, Baylor, Kansas, whoever it is, every game was close for us. Even playing against Houston, obviously everybody knew that they are really strong. It's still a great experience to play against them, even if we are losing by 30.

"Obviously I want to win; that's what I'm playing basketball for," he added. "But at the end of the day, I realize that every loss is an experience for me and for the future."

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