Key Duke Basketball Weapon Versus Spartans Did Not Practice Beforehand

Nikolas Khamenia kept the Duke basketball squad afloat early on in East Lansing despite recovering from an injury this week.

Duke's head coach Jon Scheyer calls out to players during the first half in the game against Michigan State on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Duke basketball freshman forward Nikolas Khamenia was just four days removed from landing awkwardly on his right ankle in Tuesday night's 67-66 home win over the No. 15-ranked Florida Gators. On Saturday afternoon, he drew his second straight starting nod anyway.

And the 18-year-old from Los Angeles then proceeded to play a crucial role, particularly in the first half, to help the No. 4 Blue Devils (10-0, 0-0 ACC) notch a 66-60 true road win over the No. 7 Michigan State Spartans (8-1, 1-0 Big Ten).

It's safe to say fourth-year Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer is thankful for the effort, as Khamenia came up huge in the early going — when rookie sensation Cameron Boozer was struggling to find his own rhythm — en route to entering halftime as the only Blue Devil with more than one made field goal. Khamenia shot 3-for-4 beyond the arc before the break and finished the contest with 10 points, nine rebounds, and one steal, tying Boozer with a team-high 34 minutes on the floor.

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Jon Scheyer on Nik Khamenia's Injury Against Florida and Performance in East Lansing

• "You know, Nik didn't even practice," Scheyer confirmed during his postgame press conference while commenting on the importance of getting significant contributions from Khamenia when Boozer, who eventually heated up to tally 16 points in the second half and wind up with 18 for the day, wasn't delivering buckets.

• "In our last game, he sprained his ankle. He was in a lot of pain. He's been living in the training room. Our medical team did an amazing job getting him back ready to play today.

• "And then with the way [the Spartans] were playing us too, it seemed like they were willing to give that up. They weren't going to give Cam the wide-open rim. That's important to have some guys that can knock down some shots. Nik did that."

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo shakes hands with Duke head coach Jon Scheyer after 66-60 loss at Breslin Center in East Lansing on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Khamenia, who may well have earned a permanent spot in the starting five, entered the Saturday showdown with season averages of 6.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 20.0 minutes per game, shooting 47.5 from the field and 38.5 percent from downtown.

He and the Blue Devils now have over a week off before hosting the unranked Lipscomb Bisons (5-4, 0-0 ASUN) in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 6 p.m. ET (ACC Network).

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