Nikolas Khamenia commits to Duke's 2025 recruiting class

Top-35 senior Nikolas Khamenia announced his commitment to Duke on Tuesday, and the Blue Devils emerged late to edge out UCLA for his commitment.

Jamenia is Duke's third notable commitment in the last two weeks, following the decisions of twin brothers Cameron and Cayden Boozer earlier this month.

“Duke was a place I visited and felt special from the moment I left campus. Coach [Jon] “Scheyer believes in me and my abilities,” Khamenia told ESPN. “Duke is a special place that has nurtured many great players and ultimately helped them develop.”

Jamenia built a strong relationship with Scheyer during his recruitment.

“Coach Scheyer is a young coach who played at Duke, so he understands both sides of being a player there and a coach,” Khamenia said. “He connects with his players on a personal level and knows how to help them grow and improve.”

Khamenia, a 6-foot-8 forward at Harvard-Westlake (Calif.), turned heads at the recent U.S. basketball junior national team minicamp, prompting NBA scouts to tell Jonathan Givony from ESPN that they would not rule out that Khamenia was a one-off. prospectus made.

He also represented USA Basketball in the FIBA ​​U18 AmeriCup over the summer, starting all six games and helping 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 offensive ability and as high a basketball IQ as anyone in the class. His offensive versatility and shooting touch from a variety of ranges make him difficult to defend. He uses jab steps, shot fakes, and pass fakes, and his ability to hit shots on the move is strong. Operates effectively without the ball, cutting, protecting and attacking the offensive glass.

“Nik is an incredible young man who has grown and developed each year,” Harvard-Westlake coach Dave Rebibo said. “He has a blue-collar approach to basketball and, at the same time, a tremendous amount of skill, vision, IQ and toughness. He's the ultimate winner.”

Duke is now the only program in the country with three commitments in the top 35 in the 2025 class.

“The Boozers are ultimately winners and like-minded to me,” Khamenia said of his fellow Duke recruits. “I've talked to them a little bit and I've also played against them. I respect them a lot, as players and as people.”