It’s clear that basketball has made huge leaps around the world, bringing elite-level talent to college basketball this season. Key members of the impressive freshman class, BYU’s Egor Demin and Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis, have quickly solidified themselves as two of the most promising point guards for the 2025 NBA Draft.

While their ability to set the stage for their teammates has stood out so far, their play looks well-rounded and will help them move up draft boards as the season progresses.

Let’s look at each player’s strong start and see why NBA teams are sure to pursue them.

Egor Demin wasted no time breaking into the top-five conversation and making a strong first impression in BYU’s season opener against Central Arkansas. He finished the match with 18 points, 4 rebounds, 11 assists and 4 steals. His ball handling and change of pace are remarkable for a player his 1.80m tall, and he plays with much more composure than most would expect from a player his age. Demin has a great feel for getting into the lane to draw defenders before pushing the ball out to open shots or floating shots to big men for easy finishes at the rim.

Demin continued to impress with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists in the second game against UC Riverside. He displayed excellent passing ability, regularly making impressive passes past defenders and looking like one of the best field generals in the country. His finishing ability also stood out, as he was able to consistently convert layups at full speed over defenders’ outstretched arms. While he has yet to face elite-level defenses, the skills he displays are quite intriguing as tall ball-handlers and decision-makers continue to gain popularity in the NBA.

Kasparas Jakucionis entered his freshman season considered by many to be one of the top point guard prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft. While much of the conversation in Illinois’ season opener against Eastern Illinois focused on the performance of freshman Will Riley, Jakucionis also impressed. He played with great patience and control and finished the match with 11 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. In this match, he scored easily as he could enter the lane whenever he wanted. Seven assists were impressive, but the tape shows just how effective he was, as missed shots kept his assist total in single digits. His ability to navigate double plays and find open teammates thanks to his ball control and creativity is remarkable.

Jakucionis continued to impress in his second game against SIU Edwardsville, finishing with 12 points, 8 rebounds, 13 assists and one steal. Field vision was still a prominent feature and this was reflected in the score. His ability to consistently find teammates with clean passes for easy looks seems highly transferable to higher levels of play. His understanding of when to attack is much more mature than most people think. Additionally, his ability to track down missed shots and secure rebounds led him to pursue a triple-double as the season progressed.

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