USC freshman Arenas hurts knee, out 6-8 months

• Jeff BorzelloJul 23, 2025, 09:07 PM ET Close Jeff Borzello is a basketball recruiting insider. He has joined ESPN in 2014.

USC freshman basketball player Alijah Arenas will sit out six to 8 months after suffering a knee injury that will require surgical treatment, the school revealed Wednesday.Arenas, the child of former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, was a five-star recruit who finished high school a year early to wear for the Trojans. “Alijah is a remarkable employee, colleague, rival, and person,” USC coach Eric Musselman stated. “He is understandably dissatisfied that he will not be able to take the court to begin the season, but his health is our No. 1 concern. We believe that he will return even stronger. We anticipate supporting him throughout this process.”

Arenas had simply made his practice debut earlier this month following an April car crash that left him hospitalized for almost a week.Editor’s Picks

1 Associated The crash happened when Arenas lost control of his Tesla Cybertruck and crashed into a tree. He said in June that the cars and truck’s keypad and steering wheel would not react. The car caught on fire, but Arenas had the ability to break the driver’s side window and go out with assistance from bystanders.Arenas was transferred to a medical facility and took into a caused coma due to the fact that of his inhalation of smoke. He was launched from the medical facility less than one week later with no major injuries.A 6-foot-6 shooting guard from Chatsworth High School (California ), Arenas was a McDonald’s All American and the No. 13 hire in the ESPN 100. He scored more than 3,000 points in only three seasons of high school basketball, setting the CIF LA City Area record.Arenas was anticipated to begin on USC’s boundary along with transfers

Rodney Rice (Maryland )and Chad Baker-Mazara(Auburn ).