Alijah Arenas To Withdraw From Nba Draft And Return To Usc

Alijah Arenas will retreat his sanction from nan NBA draught and return to USC for his sophomore season, according to a personification acquainted pinch nan determination not authorized to speak publically connected nan matter.

The erstwhile five-star prospect, whose begetter is NBA prima Gilbert Arenas, was expected to walk conscionable a azygous play astatine USC earlier declaring for nan draft. But thing went arsenic planned during Arenas’ freshman season.

Arenas was progressive successful a single-car mishap successful April 2025 and hospitalized for six days aft a Tesla Cybertruck he was driving hit a character and burst into flames. The week that he returned to believe aft nan accident, Arenas learned he needed knee surgery. He didn’t debut for nan Trojans until precocious January. And erstwhile he yet made it into nan lineup, Arenas was thrown into a starring domiciled successful nan mediate of a sadistic Big Ten slate and struggled to adjust.

Still, location were glimpses of nan subordinate that Compton Magic AAU laminitis Etop Udo-Ema told The Times had nan imaginable to 1 time “be nan look of nan NBA.” Over 1 agelong successful early February, Arenas had 29 points successful a triumph complete Indiana, scored 24 and deed a winning changeable astatine Penn State and put up 25 points astatine Ohio State.

“Just nan things he tin do, nan IQ he has, what he tin see, nan measurement that he moves, nan length, nan size,” Udo-Ema said, “he’s nan astir talented feline I’ve ever seen.”

But Arenas told The Times successful precocious February that he was unhappy pinch nan results of his freshman run to that point.

“I cognize what I’m tin of. And I’m not location yet,” Arenas said. “Simple arsenic that.”

Arenas had submitted his sanction arsenic an early entrant successful nan NBA draft, nan deadline for which was Monday. But ultimately, he opted to return to USC arsenic a sophomore, successful hopes of starting anew.

Arenas returns to a roster that should beryllium moreover much talented successful nan 2026-27 season. Guard Rodney Rice and guardant Jacob Cofie besides announced earlier this period that they would return, while 3 top-25 prospects are group to subordinate nan roster this summer.

USC besides already added a trio of players successful nan portal, including a 7-footer successful Connecticut’s Eric Reibe and an knowledgeable starter successful Georgetown’s KJ Lewis.