USC’s Alijah Arenas, one of the nation’s top incoming freshmen and a potential first-round pick in the 2026 draft, has suffered a torn meniscus that could sideline him for the entire season, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.
The school announced Wednesday that Arenas will undergo surgery and is projected to miss six to eight months, writes Jeff Borzello of ESPN. A six-month recovery time would have him back in late January, while eight months would push him to the start of the NCAA Tournament.
“Alijah is a tremendous worker, teammate, competitor, and person,” USC coach Eric Musselman said. “He is understandably disappointed that he will not be able to take the court to start the season, but his health is our No. 1 priority. We have no doubt that he will come back even stronger. We look forward to supporting him during this process.”
It’s a brutal setback for Arenas, who was only recently able to resume practicing after recovering from an April car crash that left him hospitalized for a week. According to Borzello, Arenas crashed into a tree after losing control of his Tesla Cybertruck. The vehicle caught on fire, but he was able to escape with help from bystanders after breaking the driver’s side window.
Arenas, the son of former NBA player Gilbert Arenas, was placed in an induced coma because of the amount of smoke he inhaled. Otherwise, he didn’t suffer any significant injuries from the crash.
Arenas was a five-star recruit who reclassified so he could attend college a year early. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard was 13th on ESPN’s recruiting rankings for this year’s class.
