UConn forward Nik Khamenia needs surgery on an injured left foot and will miss several weeks of the college basketball season, head coach Dan Hurley announced on Thursday.
The procedure is scheduled for the coming days, following an injury sustained during an 83-41 victory against Wagner on Monday.
Khamenia will be reevaluated in six to eight weeks, according to a statement shared on social media by Hurley, who said that the player is expected to make a full recovery.
The absence sidelines a key contributor for the fourth-ranked Huskies during a demanding stretch of their early-season schedule.
Khamenia arrived at UConn as a transfer from Duke and quickly established himself as the team’s third-leading scorer, averaging 10.7 points on 62% shooting.
He also ranks second on the squad with six 3-pointers made through the early part of the season.
The injury forces the coaching staff to adjust rotation patterns against a series of high-profile opponents in the coming weeks.
“We’ve been through it, obviously, in this program,” Hurley said after the Wagner game. “I just look back at last year. We had the issues with Tarris (Reed) in the early part of the year.”
Reed missed five games during that span, including a victory at Kansas and a home loss to Arizona.
The fourth-ranked Huskies face Ohio State in Hartford, Connecticut, on Friday, followed by matchups against No. 12 Arizona and No. 2 Duke.
Khamenia will also likely miss games against No. 3 Illinois and No. 15 Kansas.
Freshmen Colben Landrew and Egor Amosov are positioned to absorb additional playing time while the forward recovers.
“He (Landrew) was already playing starter’s minutes,” Hurley said. “If Nik’s not available for this nonconference slate, people like him and Egor are going to now be thrust into bigger roles.”
| Player | Position | Status | Key Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nik Khamenia | Forward | Out for surgery (6-8 week recheck) | 10.7 PPG, 62% FG, 6 3-pointers |
| Colben Landrew | Freshman | Elevated playing time | Starter’s minutes in rotation |
| Egor Amosov | Freshman | Elevated playing time | Reserves stepping into nonconference slate |
