Jon Scheyer and his staff are bringing in an absolutely loaded 2025 recruiting class, the #1 ranked class per 247sports. The class is highlighted by five-stars Cameron Boozer and Shelton Henderson, along with four-stars Nikolas Khamenia and Cayden Boozer.
The Duke program might even add one more highly-touted recruit to the class, as the top uncommitted high school prospect, Nate Ament, is set to commit soon, and Duke is seen as the favorite.
Now, it can be difficult sometimes to pronounce certain players' names right off the bat. Last season, Kon Knueppel gave Duke fans a tongue twister. But here today, let's save Duke fans and analysts all of that struggle by clarifying the right way to pronounce Khamenia's name.
Krysten Peek, an NBA Draft analyst, caught up with Khamenia at the Nike Hoop Summit today and set the record straight for how to pronounce Khamenia's last name.
At first glance, it seems like it's pronounced "kuh-mee-nee-uh" or "kuh-men-yuh." However, that isn't the case, and the "K" at the beginning of his last name is completely silent. According to Khamenia himself, he correct way to pronounce the five-star recruit's last name is "hah-men-yuh."
Attention all Duke fans and media! The K in Nik Khamenia's last name is silent. (I've been saying it wrong too 😂) Here he is saying his last name before our interview. pic.twitter.com/WBhRbLaQU0
— Krysten Peek (@krystenpeek) April 11, 2025
There you go, Blue Devil faithful. Now you can correctly pronounce the names of Duke's incoming star freshmen.
Khamenia will probably be fighting for a starting spot throughout the offseason unless Scheyer adds a small forward through the transfer portal. If not, it will most likely be Henderson or Khamenia starting at the three spot.
The 6'8, 210 pound guard chose Duke over Gonzaga, Arizona, UCLA, and North Carolina.
Khamenia is already a talented shooter and fits the mold of a Scheyer big well with his defensive capabilities and ability to shoot from the outside with confidence. He's also a great passer and displays great instincts in the open floor. He was named a member of the 2025 USA Nike Hoop Summit squad in January, which features the best high school basketball players from around the world.
Khamenia is a part of Duke's frontcourt-loaded 2025 recruiting class, with Cayden Boozer being the only true guard in the group. With his shooting and defense, Khamenia will likely see minutes right away for Duke in the 2025-26 season. And now Duke fans know how to say his name before we all see him on the court in Cameron Indoor Stadium.