Wednesday night, Egor Demin will hear his name selected in the first round of the NBA Draft.
This pick is 14 years in the making, as the last BYU Cougar to be drafted was Jimmer Fredette, who was selected 10th overall in 2011.
The BYU men's basketball program has faced a lot of change over the years. New coaches, new conferences, but no new draft picks.
With draft picks likely becoming a yearly event under head coach Kevin Young, let's take a look at that memorable 2011 draft, and see how far BYU has come since then.
June 23, 2011
The 2010-11 season was a special one for BYU. "Jimmermania" had taken over college basketball, making games in Provo a must-see.
Fredette averaged 28.9 points per game on his way to being crowned the consensus National Player of the Year. The Cougars' reached their first Sweet 16 since 1981.
On draft night, Fredette was selected by the Bucks, but was involved on a draft night trade that sent him to Sacramento, where he would spend his first two-and-a-half seasons playing for the Kings.
Notably, Fredette was taken over future Hall-of-Famers Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler. The 60th and final pick in 2011 was selected by Fredette's Kings, who took Isaiah Thomas. Thomas ended up getting more minutes than Fredette by the end of their rookie seasons, and went on to be an All Star and MVP candidate in 2017.
Fredette's first two seasons proved to be his best, as he never averaged more than seven points per game following his sophomore campaign. He was traded to Chicago in the middle of his third NBA season, and then became an NBA journeyman, playing for six teams in only six seasons.
Fredette's NBA career did not live up to the promise he showed in 2011, but he was still the most successful Cougar in the NBA in the past 20 years.
14 years of Cougars in — and out — of the NBA
Since Fredette made his rookie debut in 2011, only four other Cougars have played in the NBA, and one of those players was out after one in-game appearance.
Eric Mika only found the court one time in his NBA career, playing with the Sacramento Kings in 2020.
Elijah Bryant also only played one career regular season game, but found some garbage-time minutes in the playoffs for Milwaukee in 2021. Bryant was on the roster when the Bucks won their first title since 1971, becoming only the third Cougar ever to win an NBA championship (Danny Ainge and Greg Kite won two with the Celtics in 1984 and 1986).
A year ago today, the Bucks signed future NBA Champion Elijah Bryant pic.twitter.com/lgf8la1QHM
— Bucks Lead (@BucksLead) May 5, 2022
Brandon Davies played 78 games over two seasons with the 76ers and Nets, and Kyle Collinsworth played 32 games with the Mavericks in 2016-17.
Those are the only BYU players with NBA experience in recent history.
A new chapter for Cougars in the NBA
When Young was hired to take over the men's basketball program at BYU, he claimed that he wanted to make BYU "the best place in college basketball to prepare young men to play in the NBA." In just one year, Young has lived up to his promise.
While a late lottery or mid first-round draft pick might not be an accomplishment to throw a parade about, Demin being drafted this year is the start of a new era for BYU men's hoops. Demin is the first of likely many BYU players to join the world's top league in the coming years.
If all goes according to plan next season, AJ Dybantsa will be selected first overall, something that BYU has never seen before. Pair that with Richie Saunders, a preseason All-American who could easily crack the group of 60 players selected in 2026, BYU could go from having five players in 18 seasons to having three in the next two.
Dybantsa is also on track to be the best NBA player to have played at BYU ever, a title that's been held by Dany Ainge for over 30 years.
As long as Young is the coach in Provo, expect the Cougars to have draft streaks. No more droughts.