The Gonzaga recruit is turning heads throughout Southern California and could soon become a Bulldog.
In November of 2018, I sent the following text message to a friend: “[t]his kid is the truth. No one that big should have those kind of ball handling skills. He’s going to be huge for us.” Huge is perhaps an understatement when referring to the young man who would go on to unseat Frank Burgess as the leading scorer in Gonzaga basketball history. Even back then, it was clear to that Drew Timme was something Gonzaga fans had never seen before. He was a lot to be excited about.
Young Drew Timme was lanky but powerful, unassuming in his athleticism and cunning, but he was also disarmingly jovial and clearly playing basketball out of love for the game. As Gonzaga fans would come to find out, however, Drew could also flip a switch and become the most ruthless competitor on the court. He had a knack for cracking jokes with opponents even when his mouth was full with their stolen lunches. His secret ferocity was his greatest weapon, and he built a career out of embarrassing those who underestimated him. No one played with as much joy as Drew Timme, and that’s what made him so dangerous.
Watching the high school mixtape of Nikolas Khamenia, the 6’8” power forward currently dominating tournament circuits in Southern California, felt like déjà vu. There are clear similarities between young Drew Timme and Khamenia—the size, physique, versatility, hustle, footwork, vision, etc. What excites me most about the potential recruitment of Khamenia, though, is the same unique blend of charm and intensity that made Drew Timme not just good, but great.
Enrolled now at Westlake-Harvard High School in Studio City, California, Khamenia is currently the 27th-ranked high school prospect in the country according to 247Sports. He has received offers from Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, and Minnesota, so competition for his unique style of play is clearly fierce. The Zags, however, have been heavily pursuing the 4-star prospect for the past two years and are clearly intent on bringing him to Spokane. Khamenia attended last year’s Kraziness in the Kennel exhibition event and is scheduled to return for this year’s event on October 5. Kraziness has been a powerful recruiting tool in the past, energizing players like Jalen Suggs and Julian Strawther to come play for one of the most rabid fan bases in one of college basketball’s premier arenas. Hopefully, Kraziness 2024 will have a similar impact on Khamenia.
Khamenia recently climbed the recruiting rankings thanks to his performance at the 2024 FIBA U18 Men’s AmeriCup games in June, where he averaged 7.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3 assists per game in about 20 minutes of action. While his stats might not jump off the page, his game play demonstrated that carried a huge burden of managing the offense and ensuring defensive spacing and rotations even from a position not typically granted that responsibility. He was a starter and playmaker for the team, impressing scouts with his adaptability, patience, and versatility.
Khamenia is an offensive dual threat, with a smooth jump shot from outside and Olajuwon-esque footwork in the low post. He uses his body well to protect the ball and finds the rim effectively from the block. His change-of-pace hesitation from the perimeter puts defenses on their heels when he goes into attack mode. Like Anton Watson, he’s skilled at facilitating from inside, with good hands and a knack for finding the open man. What stands out most about his game, however, is his ability to control the flow of the offense from any spot on the court. Very few teams allow a 6’8” power forward the freedom to bring the ball up the court and set up the offense from the perimeter, but Khamenia is no ordinary power forward. He combines the vision and patience of a point guard, the outside shooting of a wing, and the post presence of a center. Most importantly, he has the on-court leadership to elevate his teammates’ performance and keep the momentum swinging in the right direction. In short, he’s a dog. And like a dog, he is both exuberant and dangerous.
Khamenia has previously expressed his appreciation for Gonzaga’s family-like atmosphere as a major deciding factor in his potential commitment. Unlike the larger schools recruiting him, Gonzaga University’s size, close-knit local community, and Zag fans’ genuine love for the team might give the Zags a special advantage. The program’s strong track record of developing power forwards is also appealing. With Anton Watson now in the NBA and senior Ben Gregg in line to have an all-conference season, the power forward position could soon be Khamenia’s for the taking. However, coach Few is known for being cautious with giving significant playing time to freshmen, so Khamenia might have to wait for his chance to shine if the Zags decide to recruit a more experienced transfer between now and the commencement of the 2025 season. This could sway Khamenia’s decision towards a more freshman-friendly roster elsewhere but the prospect of a year spent getting bigger, stronger, and more skilled is also extremely appealing to fans.
With shooting guard (for now) Davis Fogle already committed and potential commitments from Isiah Harwell, Kingston Flemming, and Jalen Haralson looming, the 2025 Zags are already heading in an exciting direction. Further more, what’s perhaps most thrilling is that Khamenia still has a full season of basketball ahead of him. It’s hard to imagine his size, skills, and style not evolving during that time, but for now, his ineffable on-court presence and maturity are already miles ahead of the bulk of his competitors. I believe that more than any recruit Gonzaga has pursued in the last couple years, Khamenia has the rare mix of joy and ferociousness that Gonzaga has been missing since Drew Timme’s departure. The young man certainly has some big decisions ahead of him, but if he follows Drew’s lead, fans might not hear about them until the last possible moment.