Alijah Arenas to make USC debut vs. Northwestern
USC freshman guard Alijah Arenas will make his long-awaited debut Wednesday against Northwestern.
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.
Agent 0⃣ ACTIVATED. pic.twitter.com/QCXw0verYF
— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) January 21, 2026
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.
USC hosts Northwestern at the Galen Center in Los Angeles following Saturday's 69-64 home loss to No. 5 Purdue. The Trojans are 14-4 on the season and sit 10th in the Big Ten standings.