Duke transfer small forward Nikolas Khamenia has found his new home via the NCAA transfer portal. After spending one year with the Blue Devils, he’s heading to join the Connecticut Huskies.
It’s a solid get for UConn. In 38 games as a freshman, Khamenia averaged 5.7 points per game, 3.3 rebounds per game and one assist per game. Khamenia also shot 44.4% from the floor and 34% from three-point range.
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As a member of the Class of 2025, Khamenia was a four-star recruit out of Studio City (Calif.) Harvard-Westlake, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. He was the No. 5 overall prospect in the state, the No. 4 small forward in the class and the No. 16 overall prospect in the class.
Evidently, Khamenia will join the Huskies as they look to finish at least one win better next season, after falling in the national title game earlier this month. Afterwards, UConn lost freshman center Eric Reibe to the portal
In his lone season with the squad, the 7’1″ center averaged 5.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks. He was set to serve a large role on next season’s team with the departure of Tarris Reed, but that’ll no longer be the case.
Reibe was the first UConn player to announce their intention to enter the Portal. His best game of the season came in a battle of future Final Four teams on Nov. 19, in which he scored 15 points with two blocks in a 71-67 loss to Arizona. The German big man, who is a former McDonald’s All-American, will be highly coveted in the Portal.
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Elsewhere, UConn head coach Dan Hurley joined The Dan Patrick Show after the national title game, where he discussed the quick turnaround from the National Championship Game to the offseason.
“I think for teams like us and the teams that played in the Final Four and Championship Game, it hits you like an avalanche,” Hurley said. “Your season literally just ended two days ago, and now you’ve got to make all these decisions. You’ve got to help your players make monumental decisions.”
With Reibe on the team this season, the Huskies made their third run to the National Championship Game in the past four seasons. UConn compiled a 34-6 (17-3) record, earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and knocked off No. 15 Furman, No. 7 UCLA, No. 3 Michigan State, No. 1 Duke, and No. 3 Illinois to reach yet another national title game.
The Huskies fell to Michigan 69-63, but the season was still a massive success. Now, Khamenia will hope the same deal is on the table for 2026-27.
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To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and X (formerly Twitter) account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
