Alijah Arenas makes USC debut in loss vs. Northwestern

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 21: USC Trojans guard Alijah Arenas (0) dribbles up the court during the college basketball game between the Northwestern Wildcats and the USC Trojans on January 21, 2026 at Galen Center in Los Angeles, CA.

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USC freshman guard Alijah Arenas was in the starting lineup for his long-awaited debut in Wednesday's 74-68 home loss against Northwestern.

Arenas showed obvious signs of rust, scoring eight points on 3-of-15 shooting in 29 minutes. He did show glimpses of his potential, giving the Trojans an early five-point advantage courtesy of a slick 360 layup.

ALIJAH ARENAS PUTTING ON THE STYLE 🕺

(via @BigTenNetwork)
pic.twitter.com/QaXnLNOX5C
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) January 22, 2026

Arenas underwent surgery after tearing his meniscus last summer. Early reports indicated the McDonald's All-American could miss the entire 2025-26 season, but he returned to practice in December.

He was also involved in a single-car crash last April and was placed into a medically induced coma due to smoke inhalation. Arenas spent six days in the hospital before getting released and didn't suffer any major injuries from the accident.

Arenas, a former five-star recruit, was the third-ranked shooting guard and No. 13 overall prospect on the 2025 ESPN 100. He's the son of three-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas.