Duke men’s basketball began last season with a roster that appeared stacked with talent. With standout freshman Cooper Flagg leading the way, the Blue Devils were considered heavy favorites to capture the NCAA title. However, their run ended in the Final Four with an upset loss to the underdog Houston Cougars.
Flagg, along with center Khaman Maluach and three-point specialist Kon Knueppel, have all entered the NBA Draft, set to take place next week. Despite losing these key players, Duke has had an impressive recruiting cycle and has effectively reloaded its roster for the upcoming season.
One of Duke’s incoming players is a 6-foot-8 forward from the Los Angeles area. The school shared via its official X account that he has been named to the Team USA Men’s U19 basketball roster.
He’ll compete for the U.S. at the FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup, which begins June 28 in Switzerland. Khamenia earned a spot on the team after standing out among more than 30 players invited to the tryouts.
Nikolas Khamenia was raised in North Hollywood, located in the San Fernando Valley just a short drive from downtown Los Angeles. He attended Harvard-Westlake School, a prestigious prep school in the L.A. area.
His father, Valery, a former college basketball player at George Washington and a native of Belarus, currently serves as an assistant coach at Los Angeles Valley College.
Khamenia is regarded as one of the premier prospects in the 2025 class and is ranked as a five-star recruit by 247 Sports. He received offers from several top basketball programs, including UCLA.