Since USC is not expected to qualify for the NCAA Tournament this year, some feel that Alijah Arenas might have already played his final collegiate game. The Trojans guard committed to the program in January 2025 and had a solid freshman year.
However, many are eager to learn if Arenas will return to USC for a second year.
On Saturday, Alijah’s father, Gilbert, offered an update on whether the Trojans star will return for a sophomore season when asked about his son’s future.
“I said, ‘If you wanna come back again, why would you?'” Gilbert said on the “Hoopin’ N Hollerin’ podcast. “He said, ‘I wanna lead college in scoring, I think these people don’t know what I can do.’ I said, ‘Okay, fair. But what about if you were top-5 in either one, which one would you rather do?’ He’s like, ‘I’d rather come back and be No. 5 so I can lead the league in scoring.’
“I was like, ‘Alright man.’ Like, I think he just puts so much into his craft, he don’t think he got evaluated.”
Gilbert, a former NBA player, also said that his son liked his USC teammates since he met them before enrolling at the program.
As things stand, Alijah will likely return to USC for a sophomore season. However, the player has yet to confirm his decision.
Alijah Arenas’ USC is Not Projected to Make March Madness in 2026
USC is not in contention to qualify for the NCAA Tournament this season. The Trojans finished the regular season with an 18-13 record.
USC earned the No. 13 seed for the Big Ten Tournament. However, the Trojans suffered an 83-79 loss to Washington in their first game of the conference tournament. USC finished its season with eight straight losses.
Despite USC’s overall struggles, Arenas was among the top-performing players for the team. He averaged 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.
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