The Alex Karaban Blueprint: Why Nik Khamenia Makes So Much Sense for UConn
Dan Hurley sees striking similarities between the former Duke forward and UConn's four-year cornerstone. The film helps explain why.
While there’s almost no replacing what Alex Karaban meant to UConn over the past four years, to hear Dan Hurley tell it, the Huskies made their best effort to find a clone.
Perhaps Connecticut’s biggest swing in the transfer portal this spring, Hurley and his staff landed a former McDonald’s All-American and Duke transfer in Nik Khamenia, who projects to bring many of the intangibles that Karaban possessed.
In Khamenia (pronounced hah-MEN-yuh), the Huskies added a 6’8 wing who only flashed the type of versatility UConn will hope to unlock in his sophomore season.
The former point guard patiently takes smaller defenders into the paint, has solid range beyond the three-point arc, and simply excels as a cutter.
Sound familiar?
“When you're losing a player of Alex Karaban's value and ability, you know you need to bring in a transfer that's gonna be ready to start right away and make an impact right away, at or near that level,” Hurley told John Fanta in the Big East’s summer preview of UConn.
“Who is that four-man with a versatile skill set that can process the game well, has all-around skills to play in our offense, which is a little bit different and a little bit complex? That draws me to Nik Khamenia — it's eerie to look at him, they actually stood next to each other in the circle because Alex came back to work out with the team — and they are literally the same size and the skill set is very, very similar.”
Khamenia Readies to Step into a Bigger Role at UConn
Any statistical analysis of Khamenia’s one-year run at Duke comes with two significant caveats:
He was adjusting to high-level college basketball as a freshman.
He essentially served as the sixth or seventh option on a loaded Duke team.
Khamenia was seventh on the Blue Devils in possessions last year, eighth in Usage (15%), and took the seventh most field goal attempts on the team.
Duke primarily used him as a floor spacer, with 45% of his possessions coming in spot-up situations.
While not quite the knockdown shooter that Karaban was at this stage (Khamenia shot 33% on all jumpers as a freshman), it’s worth noting that he hit 44% of the open jumpers he attempted at Duke.
Khamenia took 61 unguarded jump shots last season, a number that could spike significantly playing the Karaban role next season (Karaban shot 106 open jumpers).
Likely the biggest questions offensively will be how efficiently he shoots the ball from range, and if he can consistently take defenders off the bounce at this level. Karaban wasn’t a blow-by ball handler himself, but he picked his spots perfectly.
Khamenia is also a willing screener who slips to the rim effectively and can pop back beyond the arc.
Where Khamenia is most tantalizing in Hurley’s offense could actually come from the work he does away from the ball. He’s a slick cutter — one who shot a perfect 12-12 on cuts last season. Here’s a sampling:
The offense is what initially stands out on film, but defensively there are some encouraging advanced numbers from his freshman campaign. He ranked in the 98th percentile in CBB Analytics’ Defensive RAPM statistic, while opponents shot just 21% when being guarded by him last year.
He certainly benefited from playing on the third most efficient defensive unit in the country (per Kenpom), but he’s also transferring to a program that defends at an elite level under Hurley. UConn has had a top-ten defense in three of the past four seasons.
Khamenia figures to be more of a positional defender than a disruptor. In 38 games last season he had 23 steals and three blocks, while his Stop Percentage (steals, offensive fouls drawn, blocks recovered) ranked in the 32nd percentile in the country.
Ultimately, UConn's ceiling may hinge on the development of Khamenia and fellow sophomore transfer Najai Hines. Silas Demary Jr. and Braylon Mullins give the Huskies one of the nation's premier backcourts, while Jayden Ross provides an experienced veteran on the wing who started to put it all together late last year. If Khamenia grows into the Karaban role and Hines solidifies the center spot, Connecticut has the pieces to field one of the country's most complete starting fives.
Replacing a four-year cornerstone like Karaban was never going to be easy, but Khamenia arrives with the versatility, feel, and basketball IQ to give UConn a close approximation. If Hurley can unlock more of the game Khamenia only hinted at as a freshman, the Huskies may have found their next indispensable piece.
An Extended Look at Nik Khamenia
As we do with so many of the impact transfers entering the Big East, here is an unfiltered look at Khamenia’s play from late in the season. This includes makes and assists, with some misses and turnovers mixed in as well. Our goal is to give readers the most authentic look at the league’s newcomers.
It’s hard not to see shades Karaban when watching the tape.