Report: USC's Alijah Arenas Withdraws from 2026 NBA Draft Pool

On the same day that the NBA revealed a complete list of early entry prospects, one player has already decided to return to school.

Feb 18, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman and guard Alijah Arenas (0) react against the Illinois Fighting Illini in the first half at Galen Center. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The NBA announced a complete list of early entrants for the 2026 draft on Monday, April 27.

The list features plenty of expected entrants, like Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and others. Additionally, a number of prospects who haven't received as much attention in this year's class also elected to delcare.

2026 NBA Draft early entrants, per NBA: pic.twitter.com/wZLKkTQx3x

— Derek Parker (@DParkOK) April 27, 2026

Players who have entered the draft aren't locked into the 2026 class, though, as prospects with remaining eligibility can still decide to return to school. The deadline to withdraw from this year's draft is May 27, meaning those who have declared can still go through the draft process, including the NBA Combine, and receive feedback from NBA teams.

According to reports, though, one player who declared for the 2026 NBA Draft has already made the decision to return to school.

Shortly after the list of early entrants was announced, Ryan Kartje of the LA Times reported that Alijah Arenas will return to USC for the 2026-27 campaign.

News: Alijah Arenas will withdraw from the NBA draft and return to USC, a source says.

That’s big news for Eric Musselman and the Trojans.

— Ryan Kartje (@RyanKartje) April 27, 2026

A young guard with notable upside, Arenas appeared in 14 games as freshman after suffering a torn meniscus in the summer prior to his debut season with the Trojans. The son of three-time All-NBA honoree Gilbert Arenas averaged 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.3 turnovers per game while shooting 34.1% from the field, 21.3% from 3-point range and 79.2% from the free throw line.

Arenas' best stretch came in early February, when the freshman scored at least 24 points in three consecutive contests, including a 29-point outing in a win against Indiana. While Arenas clearly showcased flashes of being a talented scorer, the Trojans' standout still needs to become more consistent and improve his efficiency.

For that reason, Arenas electing to play another year of college basketball is likley the best choice for his NBA Draft placement. As a sophomore, the skilled scorer will have had an entire offseason to work on his game and prepare for the upcoming campaign.

If Arenas builds on an encouraging freshman season next year, he could be a high-end draft pick in the 2027 class, one that appears to be less talented than the 2026 cycle.

Additionally, USC should have more pieces around Arenas to take some of the focus from opposing defenses off the former five-star prospect.

Coming out of high school, Arenas was rated the No. 10 overall player and No. 1 shooting guard in the 2025 recruiting class by 247Sports. Listed at 6-foot-6, Arenas' size and scoring ability will likely intrigue NBA teams heading into the 2026-27 college basketball season.