"I still don't think the world is catching up": Duke freshman Nik Khamenia makes a bold admission about USA basketball 

Duke's incoming freshman Nik Khamenia is coming fresh off a gold medal run with Team USA at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland. The United States beat Germany 109-76 in the final, allowing Khamenia to showcase his talent on a global stage.

Khamenia, a five-star forward in the 2025 class, played with consistent energy and grit, which were difference makers for the country. He averaged 9.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in the tournament.

On Monday, the young phenom told Caleb Foster — Duke's junior guard — on The Brotherhood Podcast about his time in Switzerland, his basketball journey thus far and his future goals.

Foster asked Nik Khamenia about his thoughts on international basketball as a whole, which led to an interesting response.

"I mean for sure the game is growing in other parts of the world, but I still don't think the world is catching up like they say they are," Nikolas said (2:46). "The U.S. is always going to be the U.S. I know they talk about the MVPs and all that, but you only have a selective few guys that are like that — whereas a lot of Americans are like that, though."

Nik Khamenia's comments are backed up by the fact that the United States dominated the tournament, winning most of its games by large margins. Similarly, Team USA’s women’s team delivered a dominant showing at the FIBA AmeriCup in Chile this month, going 7-0 and securing the gold medal over Brazil.

Khamenia also recounted his experience being part of a team filled with many young talents, including AJ Dybantsa, Jasper Johnson, Koa Peat and Tyran Stokes, highlighting how the team put their egos aside and came together with the sole objective of winning the gold medal.

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Nik Khamenia explains why Duke feels like the perfect fit for him

Nik Khamenia is one of the top forwards coming out of high school, garnering offers from top programs like UCLA, Arizona, North Carolina, BYU and Michigan, among others. He visited Durham last September before committing to Duke the next month.

"I felt like this was the best place for me," Khamenia said on The Brotherhood Podcast. "A lot of guys come here to get better. I think this is the best place for me to grow both on and off the court. And I just thought the brotherhood is like a real, real thing."

Nik Khamenia is also joined by the Boozer twins — Cameron and Cayden — and Sebastian Wilkins in Duke's 2025 recruiting class.

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Edited by Bhargav