"Sets you apart": Nik Khamenia names Duke player he is most impressed with in the early days of training  

Nik Khamenia helped Team USA win the gold medal at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland. Now, he shifts his attention to his college basketball as the 6-foot-7 small forward is set to join the Duke Blue Devils. Khamenia went on "The Brotherhood" podcast and spoke about his dream NIL deals, his experience at Duke so far and more.

The YouTube video was uploaded by Duke Basketball on Sunday. Fellow Duke player Caleb Foster hosted Khamenia, who talked about his experience in the World Cup.

"I think going to play the USA World Cup helped me a little bit with the speed," Khamenia said. "The first practice I had was great. You know, we got after it. It was definitely physical. The guys played hard. You know, we were talking about competing for sure. Yeah. So, I mean, it's been fun. Um, you know, there's gonna be learning curves along the way, but for sure that's what you come here for." (Timestamp: 8:29)

Khamenia also talked about who impressed him the most, and he pointed towards Foster.

"I probably say just you and your leadership, you know, I think you really got after it, you know, you stayed here after the season," Khamenia said. "You know, I think uh the conditioning you're in right now for sure sets you apart." (Timestamp: 8:56)

Khamenia ranked No. 16 nationally, fourth in the small forward position and fifth in California (according to On3's Industry Rankings). The small forward received several offers from top programs, including UCLA, Arizona, Gonzaga and North Carolina.

He decided to sign with Duke on Oct. 22, after taking an official visit on Sep. 13.

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How did Nik Khamenia perform at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup?

Nik Khamenia won his third gold medal in Switzerland. He averaged 9.7 points on 46.0% shooting, including 44.0% from the 3-point line. He also recorded 3.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.1 blocks per game in seven games.

His best game was against Cameroon in the group play, recording 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists and five steals in 22 minutes. He shot 38.5%, including 42.9% from behind the arc and converted 1-of-2 of his free throws.

He also won gold medals at the 2024 FIBA 3x3 U18 Men's World Cup and the MVP award in Debrecen, Hungary, and the 2024 FIBA Men's U18 AmeriCup in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

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Edited by Krutik Jain