UConn got a sobering injury update Thursday night, and it comes with a major ripple effect for the Huskies’ nonconference stretch.
Nik Khamenia, one of the team’s standout forwards and a key starter, will have surgery in the coming days after injuring his left foot in Monday night’s 83-41 win over Wagner. Coach Dan Hurley said in a release that Khamenia is expected to make a full recovery and will be reevaluated in 6-8 weeks.
That timetable almost certainly knocks him out for the rest of nonconference play. It also means UConn will be moving through a loaded run of games without one of its most productive early-season pieces.
Khamenia, a sophomore transfer from Duke, has made an immediate impact in a Husky uniform. Through three games, he was averaging 10.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 6-for-11 from 3-point range. His best burst came against Wagner, when he scored 11 points in just seven minutes before the injury stopped his night cold.
The sequence was hard to miss. Khamenia came down awkwardly on his left foot, played through it briefly, even sprinting out to challenge a corner 3-point attempt, then limped to the locker room with a trainer and did not return.
His absence lands at a brutal time on the schedule. UConn is set to face Ohio State on Friday night, followed by games against Arizona, Duke, Illinois, Kansas and Virginia. Six weeks from Thursday would be Christmas Eve, which is the day after the Huskies open Big East play against Georgetown.
With Khamenia out, the pressure shifts to two freshmen, Colben Landrew and Egor Amosov, to take on bigger roles. Landrew was already seeing starter-level minutes off the bench, and Hurley had pointed to him as someone ready for the moment.
“People like (Landrew) and Egor are going to now be thrust into bigger roles,” Hurley said after Monday’s game, before the extent of the setback was known. “…Our margin for error (will) be thinner, but it’s not like we’ve got scrubs.”
Landrew has already flashed in a big way this season, including a 14-point effort off the bench at TD Garden against Michigan, where he helped steady the Huskies through foul trouble. Hurley praised the freshman’s mindset before Monday’s game, saying, “The thing about Colben that’s one of the most important attributes is you have to be comfortable when you walk into the arena and believe that you’re gonna go out there and perform at a high level,” Hurley said Sunday, prior to him struggling Monday night.
“He gets electrified when the game starts. And not every player is like that.
Some players, they get nervous, they have anxiety, they get uptight, they’re not sure. He’s sure.
And it’s awesome.”
Amosov, meanwhile, got a much bigger look after Khamenia went down. He played 13 minutes against Wagner, finishing with one point on 0-for-3 shooting, along with four rebounds, a block and a steal.
Jayden Ross, who is also expected to shoulder more from the wing, said Amosov has the tools to help once he settles in.
“I think Egor has a lot of talent overall,” said Jayden Ross, who’ll have to increase his contribution from the wing as well. “I think he’ll fit well once he’s able to really get the opportunity just to really get acclimated to the offense. We see it in practice every day, he’s a really good passer, he hits open shots, and I just think he’ll just be a great guy to have on the floor with us.”
In Other News...
UConn Showed Off A Dangerous Strength Even With Rotation Questions
UConn kept rolling with an 84-68 win over Ohio State at PeoplesBank Arena, and the latest victory offered another reminder of how dangerous this group can be even while the rotation is still taking shape. Braylon Mullins sparked the offense with 22 points and five 3-pointers, while Silas Demary Jr. and Najai Hines helped steady things after halftime as the Huskies moved to 4-0.
The lineup picture was a little different again, with freshman Colben Landrew stepping into the starting five and delivering 12 points in his first career regular-season start. For UConn, that kind of production matters because it suggests the Huskies are finding answers beyond the usual names, even as the staff continues to sort out who fits where and how deep this group can go. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Win Over Ohio State Came With One Bigger Worry
UConns 84-68 win over Ohio State had the kind of familiar feel the Huskies like, with a game plan that echoed what the womens team has been doing and enough production from the perimeter to keep the Buckeyes at arms length. Braylon Mullins led the way with 22 points, Najai Hines added 20, and for much of the night the result looked like another clean early-season step forward for a team still settling into its identity.
The bigger concern came in the middle of all that success, when Mullins had to leave briefly because of a left knee issue before coming back without any obvious limp. UConn is already working around the absence of Nik Khamenia, and the Huskies will be watching closely to see whether Mullins scare turns into anything more than a short-term interruption in an otherwise encouraging win. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Showed Something Bigger Than A 4-0 Start Against Ohio State
UConns 84-68 win over Ohio State in Hartford did more than keep the Huskies unbeaten at 4-0. It showed a team getting real production from multiple places, with Braylon Mullins leading the way on 22 points, Najai Hines adding 20 and Silas Demary Jr. filling the box score with 10 points and nine assists. Ohio State had answers of its own from Jimmie Williams and John Mobley Jr., but UConns balance and pace were enough to separate.
What stood out most was how the Huskies handled the game when it started to tighten. Even with key contributors having to navigate foul trouble in the first half, UConn found enough depth and poise to keep control, and the second half brought the kind of response that can matter later in the season. For a team still early in its schedule, this was the sort of win that says a hot start is nice, but there may be something sturdier underneath it. [Read more 🡒]