One of the players we’re most excited to see compete for Duke is Nik Khamenia.
A 6-8 prospect out of California, he fits Duke’s profile in several ways:
- He’s versatile
- He defends hard
- He comes from a basketball family
What we’ve seen of Khamenia reminds us of a mashup between Kyle Singler, Mike Dunleavy and Kon Knueppel. He shoots well from three point range on in. He defends with great effort and he’s a heck of a passer.
From the Chronicle profile: “Khamenia’s scouting report touts a strong feel for the game paired with great playmaking potential. The forward is
a selfless player who can consistently set up his teammates, and he is poised to play a pivotal role in the upcoming season. Having won two state championships in high school, Khamenia is accustomed to winning and brings an exciting set of skills to Cameron Indoor Stadium.”
The article draws a really smart NBA comparison with Gordon Hayward, who gave Duke fits in the 2010 national championship game. If Khamenia approaches his level, Jon Scheyer picked up another great talent that he probably caught on to quicker than a lot of other coaches did.
