Seth Davis' Hoop Thoughts: International flavor: A Russian in Provo, a Lithuanian in Champaign

When Kevin Young was hired on April 16 to be the new coach at BYU, he knew he would have a steep learning curve. Young hadn’t coached in college since 2006, when he was an assistant at Utah Valley. He spent the last 18 years in the pros, including the last three as the associate head coach of the Phoenix Suns. Given the poor recent performances of NBA coaches who transitioned to college, it was a risky hire for BYU part. For Young, coaching basketball is the easy part. The question would be whether he could recruit.

That answer was answered not just emphatically but globally last week, when Egor (pronounced “YAY-gor”) Demin, a 6-8 guard from Russia who has been excelling for Real Madrid in the EuroLeague and is widely projected as a potential lottery pick in 2025, committed to play for the Cougars. His other two top candidates were Illinois