Alijah Arenas Played Through An Injury USC Fans Had Not Heard About

Following the 2025 college basketball season, USC Trojans guard Alijah Arenas had thoughts of declaring for the NBA Draft, but in the end, he opted to return to USC for his sophomore season.

While many scouts and analysts have broken down Arenas’s skill set, it may be worth taking a look at something beyond what he brings on the court.

USC Trojans Guard Alijah Arenas One Key Trait Toughness Big Ten Coach Eric Musselman Roster Outlook Frontcourt Size — Mar 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Alijah Arenas (0) shoots the ball against the UCLA Bruins in the second half at the Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Alijah Arenas’s Key Trait

Recently, USC coach Eric Musselman spoke out on Arenas and the dedication he showed to the program through a variety of setbacks that many other players usually do not play through.

“One thing that has not been reported you guys is Alijah got hurt with about three games to go in our season and had a really really bad ankle sprain. He rehabbed it religiously, he played on it. To this day, he’s still not going live and is still rehabbing an ankle that he played on for the betterment of the team," Musselman said.

Musselman continued to dive into the toughness Arenas showed.

"So we’ve been not playing for how long it's been, and he’s still rehabbing that ankle. He played on an ankle that not many would play on. A lot of players, if you have the knee surgery. You have the car accident before that. You have the knee, you rehab it. You’re jumping in the middle of Big Ten play with virtually 11,12 games to play. Most guys don’t play. Alijah elected to play, and I think that’s really going to benefit him this year,” said Musselman.

Jan 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Alijah Arenas (0) reacts against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the second half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

One of the biggest keys to having a successful career at the collegiate level, and really at any level, is having the ability to be available for as many games as possible. Unfortunately, Arenas had several issues in getting on the court and beginning his freshman season after suffering a torn meniscus and being in a severe car crash.

Even after those two setbacks, Arenas was able to overcome them to get on the floor so he could help the team and become a valuable piece for the USC program. However, as Musselman said, Arenas suffered a severe ankle injury with three games left in the season, and it was something very few players would play on. Regardless of the pain Arenas was going through, he opted to play and give the team his best effort.

With all the adversity Arenas suffered last season, he showed that he has an incredible amount of toughness that should do him well in a conference like the Big Ten, where toughness is required. By deciding to play, Arenas was able to gain valuable experience as a younger player, which should help him to gain a rhythm early next season and could help the Trojans to stack wins as the season progresses.

Alijah Arenas's Skill Set

In Arenas’s limited action, he was able to showcase his abilities as he averaged 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 0.9 steals per game.

On the offensive side of the ball, Arenas functions as a player who can score at all three levels with the ability to score at the rim with different finishes, create mid-range shots, and has the shot to convert from three-point range.

However, with the setbacks that Arenas had in 2025, he struggled with efficiency as he shot 34.1 percent from the field, 21.3 percent from three, and 79.2 percent from the free-throw line. Even though Arenas did struggle with efficiency, entering the season as close to healthy as possible could be what he needs to find his shot and become a reliable and efficient scorer at all three levels.

On the defensive side of the ball, Arenas brings great length standing at 6-6, which could help him to provide heavy pressure on the perimeter as well as alter shots near the rim. On defense, Arenas should use the offseason to acclimate his game to the pace of college basketball so he can be as prepared as possible to start 2026.

USC’s 2026 Outlook

Added to the return of Arenas, the Trojans have been able to make a few significant additions through high school recruiting and the transfer portal. The major additions for USC include centers Eric Reibe, Adonis Ratliff, Darius Ratliff, and forward Christian Collins, which brings great depth to the front court for the Trojans.

Adonis Ratliff, Darius Ratliff, and Christian Collins all come from the high school level and could be players that Arenas can build a strong connection with to help USC’s program now and for the future. Reibe was also a solid addition as he transferred from UConn to play the center position. Reibe should be a great screen setter for Arenas, as well as having the ability to grab offensive rebounds to get USC a few extra possessions.

With the frontcourt additions and the return of Arenas, USC should be in a great position to compete in a major way in the Big Ten and should have the ability to make a push for the NCAA Tournament.

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