Evaluating Freshman Impact: USC's Alijah Arenas

USC’s Alijah Arenas, the son of Gilbert Arenas, is one of the top incoming freshman for this next season in college basketball. That’s with an offensive skillset, as well as a perspective and maturity about him, that have analysts high on him both as a recruit and as a potential pro.

On3 Insider Jamie Shaw looked at the incoming recruiting class, including Arenas, in a conversation last week with On3’s James Fletcher. Shaw responded on Arenas in liking his trajectory because of the size and scoring ability he has shown, especially when he’s had the chance to compete against other top competition.

“With Alijah, I mean, he’s got all the tools, like you said. He’s got the positional size. He’s got the ability to score the ball. You know, he’s just got a lot to his game,” said Shaw. “And he’s showed it at the highest levels too. At the McDonald’s All-American Game, you know, he was able to get to his spots and knock down shots. In the USA Basketball Training Camp last year, he was one of the better players there, one of the last players that was actually cut from making the 17U team last year, and he had a great training camp, again, getting to his spots and knocking down shots, and scoring in a very consolidated, professional manner, you know.”

“The upside is there,” Shaw said. “I think he finished in the Top-10 for our rankings, has come up based on the upside of what it is.”

That’s after Fletcher had said much of the same in his own evaluation of Arenas. His was more so focused on his size as a true guard or wing player with it only helping his future that he is 6’6.

“Somebody that I’m really high on…but, Alijah Arenas,” Fletcher said. “He’s a guard who can operate on, a little bit off (the ball). I mean, that’s something that develops more obviously through college. We’ll see how he works on and off the ball there. But it’s the size, the length as a guard. We talk about these undersized guards. They slip in the draft nowadays. There’s just not a spot for a lot of 6’2 players in the NBA anymore…You’ve got to be big if you’re going to be a guard. Alijah Arenas has that.”

Arenas, a Woodland Hills, California native, finished as the No. 12 overall recruit and as a Five-Star+ prospect in the 2025 recruiting cycle after reclassifying from 2024 back in December. He also rated as the No. 3 SG in the class, behind Darryn Peterson (Kansas) and Meleek Thomas (Arkansas), and the No. 3 player out of Cali, after Peterson and Brayden Burries (Arizona). That’s according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

However, Arenas went through a nearly life-altering experience before ever arriving on campus when he got into a car accident two months ago now that led to him being placed in an induced coma. He has since fully recovered and is now preparing for his true freshman season with the Trojans. It’s been his response since to that, though, that has Fletcher even higher on him moving forward.

“I’ll tell you the one thing that kind of separated for me. When I was putting together my board and I said, alright, I’ve got him in this tier, I really like some of the intangibles but how high am I going to rank him? That press conference that he did, talking about his car wreck? I don’t think I have heard an incoming freshman, in any sport at any level, have as mature (a response). Just incredible,” noted Fletcher. “This is a guy who is just top-tier in terms of his maturity when he’s speaking and that means something.”

That’s several pros when it comes to the assessment of Arenas. That said, a con now for him coming into college is how he adjusts to the level and moving on based on what Shaw as lesser competition which he played during his prep career at Chatsworth.

“The next thing for him, the big question mark, the big thing for him is going to be how does he transition from Chatsworth High School, the talent level he was going up against there averaging 35 a game, to Southern Cal? You know, that’s going to be interesting to see that step,” said Shaw. “Obviously, talent can take you a long way but there’s going to be a little bit of learning curve there, and how quickly can he adjust to the physicality, to the speed, to the gaps closing up quicker, you know, and adjust to that to continue to move forward? He’s got the basic tools. He’s got athleticism, the length, the positional size. He’s got the shooting touch. He’s got all of that. Where does he go over this next year?”

Based on this breakdown, Arenas is going to have the opportunity to be one of the nation’s best freshmen by the end of his year in LA. That could then send his stock even higher in time for next summer’s draft, following in his father’s steps in the association, come June.

“It’s going to be very interesting to see because, like you said, it could be a slow start with a big finish. But there’s a lot of tools there that should have him, rightfully have him in this conversation (for the 2026 NBA Draft),” said Shaw.