Duke lands Khamenia, 3rd top-35 possibility in ’25
-
Jeff Borzello Close Jeff Borzello ESPN Personnel Author Basketball recruiting expert. Signed up with ESPN in 2014. Graduate of University of Delaware.Paul Biancardi Close Paul Biancardi Basketball Recruiting National Recruiting Director for ESPN.com 18 years of training experience at Department I
level Previous Horizon League coach of the year at Wright State Oct 22, 2024, 05:50 PM
- ET Top-35 senior Nikolas Khamenia revealed his commitment
- to Duke on Tuesday, with heaven Devils surging late to overtake UCLA for his pledge.Khamenia is Duke’s third noteworthy commitment in the previous two weeks, following the choices of twin siblings Cameron and Cayden Boozer earlier this month.”Duke was a place I checked out and felt it was special from the minute I left school. Coach [Jon] Scheyer believes in me and my abilities,”Khamenia told ESPN.”Duke is an unique location that has put out a lot of excellent players and ultimately helped them establish.” Editor’s Picks
1 Related Khamenia developed a strong relationship with Scheyer throughout his recruitment.”Coach Scheyer is a young coach who played at Duke, so he comprehends both sides of being a player there and a coach,”Khamenia stated.”He gets in touch with his players on an individual level and understands how to assist them grow and enhance.”A 6-foot-8 forward at Harvard-Westlake (California), Khamenia turned heads at the current USA Basketball junior national team minicamp, leading NBA scouts to tell ESPN’s Jonathan Givony that they wouldn’t eliminate Khamenia being a one-and-done prospect.He also represented U.S.A. Basketball at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup over the summer season, beginning all 6 games and assisting lead the team to a gold medal. Khamenia averaged 7.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists during the event.Khamenia possesses as much offending ability and as high a basketball IQ as anyone in the class. His offensive flexibility and shooting touch from a variety of ranges makes him hard to defend.
He uses jab steps, shot fakes and pass fakes, and his ability to make shots on the relocation is strong. He runs efficiently without the ball, cutting, screening and assaulting the offending glass. “Nik is an amazing young man who has grown and established every single year,” Harvard-Westlake coach Dave Rebibo stated.”He has a blue-collar technique to basketball while having a remarkable quantity of skill, vision, IQ and strength. He is the ultimate winner. “Duke is now the only program in the nation with three top-35 dedications in the 2025 class. “The Boozers are ultimately winners, and they are similar to me,”Khamenia said of his fellow Duke employees.” I have actually talked to them a bit and have bet them as well. I appreciate them a lot, both as players and as people.”