Alijah Arenas has experienced another brutal setback.
The prized USC freshman Arenas has suffered a tear of his meniscus, veteran basketball writer Chris Haynes reported on Wednesday. Arenas is now expected to be sidelined for at least six-to-eight months and could potentially miss all of the 2025-26 NCAA season as a result.
Arenas, the 18-year-old son of retired former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, is 6-foot-7 and plays at the shooting guard position. He was a McDonald’s All-American last season as well as a consensus five-star recruit.
As a senior for Chatsworth High School in Los Angeles, Calif. during the 2024-25 campaign, Alijah averaged 29.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. Alijah was widely regarded as the gem of the incoming USC men’s basketball freshman class, which was ranked by ESPN as the No. 20 recruiting class for 2025.
The timing here is especially difficult for Arenas. You may recall that he was involved in a frightening single-car accident this past April and spent several days hospitalized while in a medically-induced coma. Arenas’ Tesla Cybertruck crashed into a fire hydrant and then slammed into a tree before catching fire (see the video of the aftermath here). Police believe that the crash was the result of Arenas driving at an excessive speed.
Arenas had just been cleared to practice with USC earlier this month following the crash. But now the meniscus tear likely means that he will have to medically redshirt his entire freshman season, creating further uncertainty over how Arenas will bounce back after multiple setbacks in such a crucial stage of his player development.
