The UConn Huskies have begun the 2026-27 college basketball season at 3-0, including a big win against the defending champion Michigan Wolverines. But as the Huskies appear to be among the early contenders for the national championship, they’re going to be short-handed in the near future. Sophomore guard Nik Khamenia suffered a foot injury during UConn’s win against Wagner on Monday, and will be sidelined for six to eight weeks, the team announced.

Nik Khamenia will undergo surgery for the foot injury, and he’s expected to make a full recovery putting his potential return to UConn’s lineup somewhere around New Year. The Huskies still have a few formidable opponents on their non-conference schedule, but Khamenia’s return could coincide with the beginning of Big East play.

Against Wagner, Khamenia played only seven minutes before sustaining the injury late in the first half. He finished with 11 points and one rebound while shooting 4-of-5 from the field and 3-of-3 from the 3-point line. He did not return after exiting the game.

Article Continues Below

Losing the sophomore guard for an extended period of time is a big blow for UConn as he had been in the midst of a breakout season. After transferring from Duke where he was part of the second unit, the Southern California native had stepped right in to a starting role with the Huskies.

He was playing a little over 18 minutes per game while averaging a career-best 10.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists with splits of 61.9 percent shooting from the field and 54.5 percent shooting from the 3-point line.