NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Analyzing top 5 teams for 4-star F Nikolas Khamenia

One of the best West Coast prospects in the 2025 NCAA Basketball recruiting class is Nikolas Khamenia, a consensus top-40 player from the state of California. He's a 6'8 combo forward who can shoot the ball at a high level and has an all-around skillset that'll make him effective at the next level.

The Studio City, native has been linked to plenty of big-name schools in the past year and there are new five programs in the running to land him. Here's a closer look at how Khamenia fits with each of those teams.

Arizona Wildcats

With both Keshad Johnson and Pelle Larsson gone, the wing/forward positions have opened up a bit. But that ultimately depends on how Carter Bryant, a 5-star incoming wing prospect, works out. He could be a one-and-done, allowing Khamenia to have a large role. Arizona also offers the recruit a chance to not only stay out west but play in arguably the toughest conference in all of NCAA Basketball in the Big 12.

Duke Blue Devils

Currently, Duke doesn't have any class of 2025 commits but that's sure to change in the coming months, as they're in the mix with plenty of top-30 and better prospects besides Khamenia. Among the current frontcourt players on the roster, Purdue transfer Mason Gillis has just one season left, with No. 1 recruit Cooper Flagg is likely a one-and-done player. Without knowing who else is joining the class, this option has plenty of risk for the prospect but, like countless past examples, offers plenty of rewards.

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Khamenia is one of the top prospects for Gonzaga in the 2025 class, looking to pair with 6'7 guard/forward commit, Davis Fogel. With Steele Venters suffering another season-ending injury and his future in doubt, the Bulldogs have an even larger need for a key forward in its next recruiting class. Although they remain in the WCC, Gonzaga still has a decades-long streak of making the Sweet 16 or better and remains a top-tier national program.

North Carolina Tar Heels

With sophomore forward Zayden High not on the team anymore, the frontcourt rotation for the Heels will be older, led by seniors, Jae'lyn Withers and GT transfer Tyzhaun Claude. The team does have 6'7 Belmont transfer Cade Tyson but could also use someone like Khamenia to maintain the spacing and give some someone like Elliot Cadeau more options to pass to on offense going forward. And compared to rival Duke, they have more playing time and a larger role to offer.

UCLA Bruins

The Bruins represent the "hometown" option for Khamenia if he prefers to stay close to home and Los Angeles isn't a bad place to stay at. The Bruins and its history as a winning program speaks for itself and they're in the Big Ten now, set to receive even more attention.

With seniors Kobe Johnson and Lazar Stefanovic set to leave after next season, there's both room and a need for a small forward such as Khamenia, who can offer them needed shooting and spacing. With only a couple of seniors on the roster, he may have to wait a year to have a large enough role in the rotation but UCLA has just as much to offer as the other teams in contention while being able to do it close to home.