Alijah Arenas to withdraw from NBA draft and | College News
Alijah Arenas will withdraw his title from the NBA draft and return to USC for his sophomore season, according to a individual acquainted with the choice not approved to communicate publicly on the matter.
The former five-star prospect, whose father is NBA star Gilbert Arenas, was anticipated to spend just a single season at USC before declaring for the draft. But nothing went as deliberate during Arenas’ freshman season.
Arenas was concerned in a single-car accident in April 2025 and hospitalized for six days after a Tesla Cybertruck he was driving hit a tree and burst into flames. The week that he returned to apply after the accident, Arenas discovered he needed knee surgical procedure. He didn’t debut for the Trojans until late January. And when he finally made it into the lineup, Arenas was thrown into a starring function in the center of a brutal Big Ten slate and struggled to regulate.
Still, there have been glimpses of the participant that Compton Magic AAU founder Etop Udo-Ema told The Times had the potential to in the future “be the face of the NBA.” Over one stretch in early February, Arenas had 29 factors in a win over Indiana, scored 24 and hit a successful shot at Penn State and put up 25 factors at Ohio State.
“Just the things he can do, the IQ he has, what he can see, the way that he moves, the length, the size,” Udo-Ema said, “he’s the most talented guy I’ve ever seen.”
But Arenas told The Times in late February that he was sad with the outcomes of his freshman marketing campaign to that level.
“I know what I’m capable of. And I’m not there yet,” Arenas said. “Simple as that.”
Arenas had submitted his title as an early entrant in the NBA draft, the deadline for which was Monday. But finally, he opted to return to USC as a sophomore, in hopes of beginning anew.
Arenas returns to a roster that ought to be even more proficient in the 2026-27 season. Guard Rodney Rice and ahead Jacob Cofie also announced earlier this month that they might return, while three top-25 prospects are set to be a part of the roster this summer time.
USC also already added a trio of gamers in the portal, including a 7-footer in Connecticut’s Eric Reibe and an skilled starter in Georgetown’s KJ Lewis.
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