Ryan Kartje (LA Times)  —  Alijah Arenas will withdraw his name from the NBA draft and return to USC for his sophomore season, according to a person familiar with the decision not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

The former five-star prospect, whose father is three-time All-NBA star Gilbert Arenas, was expected to spend just a single season at USC before declaring for the draft. But nothing went as planned during Arenas’ freshman season.

Arenas was involved in a single-car accident in April 2025 and hospitalized for six days after a Tesla Cybertruck he was driving hit a tree and burst into flames. The week that he returned to practice after the accident, Arenas learned he needed knee surgery. He didn’t debut for the Trojans until late January, missing the first 18 games. And when he finally made it into the lineup, Arenas was thrown into a starring role in the middle of a brutal Big Ten slate and struggled to adjust.

Still, there were glimpses of the player that Compton Magic AAU founder Etop Udo-Ema told The Times had the potential to one day “be the face of the NBA.” Over one stretch in early February, Arenas had 29 points in a win over Indiana, scored 24 and hit a winning shot at Penn State and put up 25 points at Ohio State.

“Just the things he can do, the IQ he has, what he can see, the way that he moves, the length, the size (6-6, 200),” Udo-Ema said, “he’s the most talented guy I’ve ever seen.”

But Arenas told The Times in late February that he was unhappy with the results of his freshman season to that point.

“I know what I’m capable of. And I’m not there yet,” Arenas said. “Simple as that.”  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 had submitted his name as an early entrant in the NBA draft, the deadline for which was Monday. But ultimately, he opted to return to USC as a sophomore, in hopes of starting anew.

The Trojans’ standout clearly still needs to become more consistent and improve his efficiency.

For that reason, Arenas electing to play another year of college basketball is likely 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.

Arenas returns to a roster that should be even more talented in the 2026-27 season. Guard Rodney Rice and forward Jacob Cofie also announced earlier this month that they would return, while three top-25 prospects (forwards) are set to join the roster this summer (Christian Collins — a top-10 national recruit  — and twins Adonis and Darius Ratliff).

USC also already added a trio of players in the portal, including a 7-footer in Connecticut’s Eric Reibe and an experienced starter in Georgetown’s shooting guard KJ Lewis.

latimes.com

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