Alijah Arenas, who is the son of former NBA All Star Gilbert Arenas, was one of the most sought after high school prospects in the class of 2025. A former five-star recruit, Arenas decided to take his talents to USC, where he was expected to make an immediate impact.
Unfortunately for Alijah, there were many obstacles to come before he could finally see the floor in his freshman year.
In April of 2025, Alijah was induced in a coma when he crashed his Tesla Cybertruck into a tree. The car engulfed in flames and heavy smoke filled the car. The 6-foot-6 basketball prodigy revealed he was fearing for his life when the doors to his truck were not opening, even after trying to unlock it through the mobile Tesla app. He was locked in the burning car. After spending several minutes in the burning car, Alijah was eventually able to break through his driver's side window with the help of surrounding bystanders. He then spent the next week recovering in the hospital.
The adversity did not end there. While participating in a summer workout in July, the then 18-year-old tore his meniscus and it was announced he would be sidelined for six to eight months. This was devastating news for Alijah as he was seen as a potential lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
After missing the Trojans' first 18 games of the season, Alijah returned to the court on January 21, where he posted just 3-15 from the field. The true freshman would go on to play in 14 games during the season, averaging 14.1 points on just 34.1% shooting and 21.3% from downtown, to go with 2.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists. The once phenom guard was clearly not himself and USC, who had rather high expectations entering the season, ended up missing the NCAA Tournament completely.
Now entering his sophomore campaign, Alijah has had, and will continue to have a lengthy offseason to get his health fully restored and focus on getting back to where he once was. With the Trojans shaking up their roster this offseason, Arenas is crucial returner. He will have the chance to take over from the start, something he did not have the opportunity to do last season as he was injured for a majority of the season. In high school, he was described as a scorer that can beat defenders in many ways, which includes the deep ball. He is lengthy with a seven-foot wingspan and abnormally large hands which can certainly be an upside on the defensive end.
There is a ton of hope and hype surrounding Alijah's name. If Arenas is able to be player most people thought he would be, then we could expect him to lead USC dancing in March.
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