Blue Devil Country

Duke Basketball Assistant in Attendance for Prime UNC Target

Potential five-star forward Nikolas Khamenia might be entering the Duke basketball recruiting radar.

Matt Giles

Duke basketball recruiting prospect Nikolas Khamenia
Duke basketball recruiting prospect Nikolas Khamenia / Sam Ballesteros/The Republic / USA TODAY
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Although there have been no reports of significant Duke basketball interest in Harvard-Westlake School (Calif.) rising senior Nikolas Khamenia, the national buzz surrounding the 6-foot-8, 210-pound four-star stretch-four has been loud of late. Since landing on the UNC basketball recruiting wishlist in late May, he's reported offers from Arizona, Notre Dame, Purdue, Louisville, Michigan, and Oregon.

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Meanwhile, he's held offers from Kansas and UCLA for over a year. Now, Kentucky and Jon Scheyer's Blue Devils are the only bluebloods absent from Khamenia's list of suitors.

And on that note, Kentucky head coach Mark Pope recently began talking to the 17-year-old, a stock-riser who has climbed 30 spots since this time last year to No. 30 overall on the 247Sports 2025 Composite following his wide-ranging production for the USA Basketball U18 National Team at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup in Buenos Aires earlier this month.

So, on Sunday afternoon, Duke basketball assistant Chris Carrawell decided to drop by for another look at what the versatile Nikolas Khamenia show has become.

As HS Top Recruits reported on location, Carrawell was one of several powerhouse recruiters in attendance for Khamenia's outing at the Section 7 prep showcase in Arizona. Others on hand included Pope, Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd, and Michigan head coach Dusty May.

There's no telling if Carrawell's attention will translate into an offer from Jon Scheyer.

But it's worth pointing out that the recruiters in Durham have enjoyed recent success pursuing California talent in the form of 2023-24 one-and-done guard and projected first round draft pick Jared McCain. Plus, they have one Californian on their 2025 wishlist already in five-star guard Brayden Burries.

For now, the 2025 Duke basketball offer sheet consists of 11 names. The Blue Devils continue to seek their first commitment in the cycle.

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Matt Giles

MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of FanNation's Blue Devil Country and All Tar Heels, covering the Duke Blue Devils and UNC Tar Heels on SI.com.

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