USC's Alijah Arenas Out 6-8 Months With Injury

USC freshman basketball standout Alijah Arenas, son of former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, will miss six to eight months after suffering a torn meniscus that requires surgery, jeopardizing his entire 2025-26 season. The injury comes after Arenas survived a serious April car crash in his Tesla Cybertruck, which resulted in hospitalization and a medically induced coma from smoke inhalation. A highly touted five-star recruit and McDonald's All-American who reclassified to join USC early, Arenas was expected to play a key role and is seen as a potential first-round NBA draft pick. His absence is a significant setback for a USC team aiming to improve under new coach Eric Musselman. In light of Arenas's injury, the Trojans will need to depend more heavily on their transfer class and other newcomers. Both Arenas and the program remain optimistic about his eventual recovery.