University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Sign Four Newcomers For 2026-27
4/29/2026 11:14:00 AM | Men's Basketball
STORRS – The UConn men's basketball team has announced the addition of four impact transfers for the 2026-27 season. Oskar Giltay, Najai Hines and Nikolas Khamenia will join the Huskies as incoming sophomores and Nils Machowski for his senior season.
The quartet of newcomers join returners Solo Ball, Silas Demary Jr., Braylon Mullins, Jacob Ross and Jayden Ross along with incoming freshmen Junior County and Colben Landrew on the 2026-27 UConn roster.
Hines, a 6'10 post originally from Plainfield, N.J. comes to Connecticut after a strong rookie campaign at Seton Hall.
"Najai is a physically imposing presence at the center position," head coach Dan Hurley said. "He has the potential to make a huge impact offensively, defensively and on the backboard. There is a great legacy of All-America and NBA level dominant big men at UConn and Najai has the chance to become the next to uphold that tradition."
As a freshman last season at The Hall, Hines scored 6.5 points with 5.5 rebounds and a BIG EAST-best 2.2 blocks in 18.0 minutes per game. He appeared in 31 of 33 games off the bench and shot 60.2 percent from the field and 69.0 percent from the line. He scored in double-figures on 11 occasions and notched four double-doubles. Per Evan Miya BPR he was the 25th most impactful center in the country on the defensive end and the sixth most impactful freshman big overall.
Prior to matriculating in South Orange, Hines was ranked the No. 1 player in New Jersey in his class by 247 and was a First Team All-State selection following his senior season at Plainfield High. He spent the prior three years at South Garner High School in Garner, N.C. where he was a two-sport athlete starring in both basketball and football. On the gridiron he received high-major offers as a tight end before switching his focus to hoops.
Khamenia, a 6'8 wing and former McDonald's All-American from Los Angeles, joins the Huskies after spending his freshman year at Duke.
"Nik competes to the max. He is a fiery player that mirrors how we show up as a program every night in the arena," said Hurley. "His combination of size and skill on the wing along with big-time shot-making ability make him an exciting guy to add to our organization. He has the potential to help us replicate some of the incredible production we got out of that spot from Alex."
In his rookie campaign at Duke, Khamenia played in all 38 of the Blue Devils' contests and made five starts while averaging 5.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 19.8 minutes per game. He shot 44.0 percent from the field, 34.0 percent from three on 2.7 attempts per game and 67.3 percent from the free throw line. His season scoring high was 14 points which he hit on three occasions, including in a 14-point, six-rebound performance in 31 minutes of the ACC Semifinals.
During his high school career Khamenia was a McDonald's All-American and played for prep powerhouse Harvard-Westlake in Los Angeles, where he won back-to-back state titles. He has represented Team USA on several occasions at the U18 and U19 levels on both the national team and in 3x3 competition, totaling three gold medals with USA Basketball to date.
Oskar Giltay, a 6'10 post and native of Bilzen, Belgium, comes to Connecticut after spending his freshman season at Stanford.
"We love Oskar's versatility and how he can impact the game offensively, defensively and on the glass," Hurley said. "Having multiple quality centers has been a huge part of our success. Oskar has enormous upside with his age, athleticism and intelligence. Most importantly, he embraces and relishes the challenge of playing in the Basketball Capital of the World."
With the Cardinal he played in 32 contests and made five starts, averaging 3.5 points and 4.1 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game. He shot 62.7 percent from the field and 57.3 percent from the line while adding 1.4 blocks per game and 21 steals. Per BPR Giltay was Stanford's most impactful defensive player and the sixth most impactful defensive freshman big in the country.
Giltay has represented his native Beligum several times on the international stage. Most recently he suited up for the Belgian Lions at the 2024 FIBA U18 EuroBasket, where he averaged 10.0 points and 6.4 rebounds in seven games and notched a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double with four steals in the Quarterfinals vs. eventual runner-up Serbia. At the club level he played two years with Hubo Limburg United in the BNXT League, the top tier of basketball in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Machowski is a 6'3 guard originally hailing from Berlin, Germany who has played college basketball since 2023-24.
"Nils brings a veteran toughness to our backcourt," Hurley said. "He has great versatility in the way he can get on the glass, play-make and shoot it. His experience at the international level and in college basketball will make a huge impact on the court and in the locker room."
Machowski spent his first two years of college hoops at UCF and then exploded upon his move to Wofford last season, earning Second Team All-SoCon honors. As a junior he averaged 17.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists in a team-high 33.7 minutes per game.Machowski posted a .433/.382/.790 shooting line and added 22 steals with 16 blocks while starting all 32 contests for a Terrier squad that went 19-13 and finished second in the SoCon. He poured in a career-high 37 points on Jan. 3 and scored 30 or more on three occasions, totaling four double-doubles.
During his two seasons at Central Florida, Machowski averaged 2.9 points and 2.2 rebounds across 56 contests. He started nine games including the final seven of UCF's season as a sophomore in 2024-25, a stretch in which he set or tied his UCF highs in points (15), rebounds (8) and 3-pointers (3). Prior to making his way to Orlando he played two seasons with Alba Berlin at the club level and participated in the 2024 FIBA U20 EuroBasket and 2022 FIBA U18 European Championship with Germany.
