Nikolas Khamenia Committed To Duke, Head Coach Jon Scheyer Instead Of UCLA, Head Coach Mick Cronin On Tuesday

Nikolas Khamenia is going from the West Coast to the East Coast because he committed to Duke, Head Coach Jon Scheyer instead of UCLA, Head Coach Mick Cronin on Tuesday.

Nikolas Khamenia is 6-8 power forward who currently attends Harvard Westlake High School in Studio City California who is class of 2025.

Nikolas Khamenia has a terrific overlap of size, skill, and a very high basketball IQ. He has great instincts and natural feel for the game. He’s an exceptional passer who can throw darts off the dribble with both hands and thread the needle when needed, but also understands how to be a ball-mover as well. He processes the game incredibly quickly as well, allowing him to know exactly what to do with the ball as soon as he touches it. He picks up concepts quickly, easily acclimates to offensive structure, has good footwork, and utilizes shot-fakes well.

While his passing is probably his best natural skill, he’s a consistent shooting threat out to the three-point line and also a good ball-handler. He has definite gravity around the arc and can be run off screens away from the ball in the half-court. He can also play-make from various spots on the floor and is particularly adept at taking the ball off the glass to start the break. He may project as a facilitating forward at the next level, but he’s also spent a lot of time initiating offense in a point forward type role in various settings.

Physically, Khamenia lacks great length or natural quickness, but he's made nice strides with his body in recent months. He's noticeably stronger, more defined, and athletic enough to be a lob threat at times. Whatever he may lack in sheer explosiveness, he’s typically able to compensate for with his intellect. He really knows how to play on both ends of the floor and tends to be in all the right spots defensively. He’s also a terrific communicator with clear leadership ability on the floor.

According to Adam Finkelstein Director Of Scouting 247 Sports article https://247sports.com/player/nikolas-khamenia-46136542/

Following Nikolas Khamenia committing to Duke, Head Coach Jon Scheyer instead of UCLA Head Coach Mick Cronin on Tuesday Nikolas Khamenia had this to say!

Duke was a place I visited and felt it was special from the moment I left campus. Coach [Jon] Scheyer believes in me and my abilities,"Duke is a special place that has put out a lot of great players and ultimately helped them develop."

"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."

According to Jeff Borzello, Paul Biancardi ESPN article https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/41948229/nikolas-khamenia-commits-duke-2025-recruiting-class