Alijah Arenas makes long-awaited USC college debut…
LOS ANGELES — With one breathtaking transfer, Alijah Arenas announced that he was again.
Back from the knee injury that had sidelined him since the summer time.
Back from the harrowing Tesla CyberTruck accident that threatened his life.
Back from all the worrying and doubts about whether or not this day would come.
The son of three-time NBA All Star Gilbert Arenas made his college debut on Wednesday night time for USC, and it took just 5½ minutes for him to point out why this was such a big deal.
Unleashing a behind-the-back transfer that made one Northwestern defender stumble close to the sideline, Arenas drove towards the basket before acrobatically spinning round another defender for a layup.
The smallish crowd inside the Galen Center roared in appreciation of the five-star prospect from Chatsworth High who’s thought of by some as a doable first-round NBA draft decide. His father was watching from a spot alongside the closest baseline while seated next to former Trojan and Laker guard Nick Young.
Alijah Arenas, son of former NBA nice Gilbert Arenas, goes up for a layup during his college debut for USC in a 74-68 house loss to Northwestern on Jan. 21, 2026. AP
Arenas had not performed for the Trojans after injuring his knee in July and returning to follow last month, however his return featured a few spectacular moments during his team’s 74-68 loss.
The most extremely rated recruit to play for USC coach Eric Musselman since his arrival before last season, Arenas flashed loads of engaging potential, even if he did wrestle along with his capturing contact while ending with eight factors to go together with two rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes.
The 6-foot-6 guard made just three of 15 photographs, lacking all six three-pointers.
“The results are not shocking to me,” Musselman said, alluding to the lengthy layoff. “But he can create his own shot and he should be a high school senior, reclassified, missed an entire summer and then you’re throwing him in the middle of Big Ten play, so he doesn’t have nonconference play and all that stuff just based on injury and it’s a difficult thing for any super talented player to go through.”
After lacking his first three photographs, Arenas obtained on the board with a easy pull-up baseline jumper. He mixed silky strikes with a willingness to attract contact, repeatedly leaning into defenders to drive fouls.
“Man, he had some moves out there,” Wildcats coach Chris Collins said of a participant who was not made obtainable to the media after the game. “The 360-layup was pretty impressive.”
Having announced his return with an Instagram publish, Arenas instantly moved into the beginning lineup. He was launched last before the game, charging onto the courtroom by way of billowing smoke and elevating each arms in acknowledgement of the cheers that serenaded him.
Alijah Arenas dribbles up courtroom during USC loss to Northwestern. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Just playing was a major triumph contemplating what occurred last spring.
Arenas made a dramatic escape from a CyberTruck fireplace in April after the car struck a tree, sending smoke pouring into the entrance of the car. Stricken with panic because an app on his telephone wouldn’t open the doorways, Arenas moved into the again seat. His try to interrupt a window also failed.
After pouring the contents of a water bottle onto himself to chill his physique, Arenas remained trapped inside the car for about 10 minutes before lastly kicking out a window on the driver’s aspect. He was pulled from the wreckage by his legs, touchdown face down in a few inches of water left from a damaged fireplace hydrant before being moved to security.
Miraculously, he sustained no major accidents after spending six days in the hospital and being positioned in a medically induced coma to deal with smoke inhalation.
On Wednesday, his comeback was full.
“The more he plays, the better he’s going to be,” Collins said. “He’s just a really tough cover because of his ability to handle the ball, but at the size he has — 6-6, 6-7 — he is a big-time player and the more he plays, he’s going to just keep getting better.”
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