What made freshman forward Nikolas Khamenia a prized recruit for Duke basketball
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Duke recruited Nikolas Khamenia for his competitiveness, versatility and size.
- In exhibition he posted 14 points, 8 rebounds and team-high 12 free throws.
- At 6-8 and 230 pounds he offers 1-through-5 defense and high-level pedigree.
It’ll be hard to keep your eyes off Cameron Boozer when he’s on the floor for the Duke basketball team this season.
He’s big and strong, to the point of being imposing. Just 18, the 6-foot-8 freshman has the kind of man strength that his father, former Duke star Carlos Boozer, once displayed as a freshman.
“He’s a warrior,” Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer said.
Then there’s Cayden Boozer, Cameron’s twin brother. He’s a 6-4 point guard whose game is well in sync with his bigger brother, as could be expected. Both were 5-star high school recruits in Miami, wanted by every major school in the country but with an obvious Duke bloodline.
But another freshman, another 5-star guy, grabbed a chunk of attention Tuesday as Duke took a 96-71 win over Central Florida in an exhibition game at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Nikolas Khamenia, floppy hair and all, came across as a 6-8 package of skill combined with fearlessness. Named to the starting lineup, the forward did not shoot the ball as well as he’s capable but came away with 14 points, 8 rebounds and likely a few floor burns after crashing to the court a couple of times.
And hard falls, too. He took the ball with force to the basket and paid the price, landing on his backside.
“He plays hard every single play, with second effort,” said sophomore Darren Harris, who sits next to Khamenia in the locker room at Cameron. “He puts his body on the line every play, which is something all of us can appreciate and respect.”
Nikolas Khamenia is fearless
Khamenia didn’t have his shooting touch Tuesday, although he did not hesitate to shoot, going 2-for-8 from the field and missing four of his five 3-point shots. But he got to the line for a game-high 12 free throws and made nine.
“That was the thing recruiting Nik,” Scheyer said. “The guys that were most successful here were the best competitors. We watched him in high school, and we didn’t think there was a better competitor in the country.
“Nik’s lived up to that. He’s fearless. He has a way of just cleaning things up at both ends. He gets loose balls, makes the connecting plays, his passing. You talk about versatility. His size allows him to guard 1-through-5, as well, so that’s a big thing for our team.”
Khamenia is a California kid, a native of Los Angeles. Like the Boozers, he’s 18. He was rated a top-15 prospect at Harvard-Westlake School, winning two state championships, and was a McDonald’s All-American. He has been on USA Basketball international teams and won gold medals.
Khamenia (pronounced hah-MEN-yuh) is listed at 215 pounds but said Tuesday he has bulked up to 230 since coming to Duke.
“Going into the college game, obviously, you need to be a little heavier when you play against guys who have been in college five years,” he said. ““You have to be able to compete with that physicality, taking contact and liking contact.”
And banging the court?
“Whatever it takes to win,” Khamenia said, smiling. “I think it’s fun getting on the floor. I wish I could have dived on the floor for a loose ball or two today.”
In constant contact with dad
Khamenia has battled Cameron Boozer in practices and was anything but surprised by Boozer’s 33-point, 12-rebound performance Tuesday at Cameron.
“Cam, man, he’s special,” he said. “To have 33 points and 12 rebounds, that’s not easy to do in your first game in college. Shoot, he’s really good at basketball and everybody in the country knows that. Being his teammate is super fun.”
Khamenia’s father, Val, played college basketball at George Washington before going back to his native Belarus to play pro ball. He later returned to the U.S. and is associate head basketball coach of the Los Angeles Valley College Monarchs.
Khamenia said he’s in constant contact with his dad, and the two likely had a lot to talk about after Duke’s first game at Cameron, exhibition or not.
“I’ve been dreaming about this since I committed,” Khamenia said Tuesday. “When we went on a run in the second half, I heard Cameron get louder and louder. It was a surreal feeling.”
This story was originally published October 22, 2025 at 12:19 PM.
