After a devastating Elite Eight loss, Duke freshman Nik Khamenia bolts for rival UConn, fueling shockwaves and fan outrage.
The Duke Blue Devils season ended with a loss to UConn in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament.
The loss was heartbreaking for Duke, who earned the No. 1 overall seed for the NCAA Tournament after winning the regular season ACC championship and ACC Tournament.
The Blue Devils appeared to get the better of the Huskies in the first half, and Duke at one point had a 19-point lead in the contest.
UConn clawed its way back into the contest, and a late turnover by Cayden Boozer allowed the Huskies to hit a game-winning shot to knock Duke out of the tournament.
On Saturday, the Blue Devils learned they were losing a player from last year's roster to UConn.
Per Joe Tipton of On3, Nik Khamenia is set to transfer to UConn.
In 38 games played, Khamenia averaged 5.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.0 assists as a freshman.
The six-foot-eight, 215-pound guard from Los Angeles will be a big addition for UConn head coach Don Hurley, who is looking to return to the Final Four next season after losing to Michigan in the national championship game earlier this month.
Fans on social media reacted to the news that Khamenia was set to head to the Huskies.
"He wants a ring, only makes sense," wrote a fan.
"Worse than KD going to the Warriors," posted another.
"He will be a supreme leader for UConn," believes a fan.
In January, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer told Sports Illustrated that Khamenia was still learning how to make an impact at the college level.
"I think Nik is on the journey, not even like most freshmen," Scheyer said. "He's still in rare air in terms of he's making an impact on one of the best teams in the country.
"But you're going to go through your moments of ups and downs. And I think he's figuring out how to be really successful in college and how to adjust in certain areas, but also how to have that belief in yourself still."
Khamenia will take the next step of his journey with UConn, and will work under one of the best basketball coaches in the country.