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USC freshman Alijah Arenas is expected to be sidelined six to eight months after suffering a knee injury that will require surgery, the program announced on Wednesday. That timeline puts the son of former NBA player Gilbert Arenas in jeopardy of missing most, if not all, of the 2025-26 college basketball season.
“Alijah is a tremendous worker, teammate, competitor, and person,” USC coach Eric Musselman said in the statement. “He is understandably disappointed that he will not be able to take the court to start the season, but his health is our No. 1 priority. We have no doubt that he will come back even stronger. We look forward to supporting him during this process.”
Arenas had recently been cleared to practice after he was involved in a fiery car crash this spring. Arenas, the No. 10 prospect in the 2025 class by 247Sports, was hospitalized and placed in a medically induced coma after he crashed into a tree and fire hydrant in his Tesla Cybertruck.
“I’ve been good,” Arenas said in his media availability last month. “I’ve been really getting back into it, especially where I was to where I am now. I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better. And then especially seeing my teammates, it’s really motivated me a lot to push forward and to keep up with the team. Getting out of the hospital, that was my main focus. I already thought about the team.”
USC basketball recruit Alijah Arenas nears practice debut, details recovery from fiery car crash
Carter Bahns
Arenas was expected to play a key role for the Trojans this upcoming season and was the highest-ranked player to commit to the program since five-star guard Isaiah Collier in 2023. Arenas projected as a potential first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
USC brought in a star-studded transfer class this offseason, which included former Auburn wing Chad Baker-Mazara and Maryland guard Rodney Rice. The Trojans finished 17-18 in Musselman’s first season at the helm of the program and were expected to be one of the most improved teams in the Big Ten because of their offseason overhaul.