Basketball
USC basketball recruit Alijah Arenas, a five-star prospect and the No. 10 overall player in the 2025 class, is close to making his debut on the practice court with the Trojans. His road to the college game took a major detour this spring when he was involved in a fiery car crash, but Arenas said ahead of his freshman season at USC that he is back in the gym and will soon join his teammates for organized practice.
Arenas was hospitalized and placed in a medically induced coma April 24 when he crashed into a tree and fire hydrant in his Tesla Cybertruck. The son of former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas left the hospital days after the accident and began a lengthy recovery process.
“I’ve been good,” Arenas said Tuesday in a USC media availability. “I’ve been really getting back into it, especially where I was to where I am now. I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better. And then especially seeing my teammates, it’s really motivated me a lot to push forward and to keep up with the team. Getting out of the hospital, that was my main focus. I already thought about the team.”
It is an academic holdup that stands between Arenas and team practices now rather than his physical recovery. USC coach Eric Musselman said he will participate in team activities when he receives clearance. Arenas reclassified from the 2026 to 2025 recruiting cycle as a product of Chatsworth (Calif.).
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“My work ethic right now hasn’t changed,” Arenas said. “It’s still the same. I still work out every morning. I wake up every morning, come to practice, support my team, have team bondings, all of that.”
Arenas and his father both detailed the crash and noted the terrifying moments that occurred after the Cybertruck malfunctioned. Arenas said the vehicle did not register that anyone was in the car, and the steering wheel locked up while rotated to the right, sending him across lanes and into an off-road collision. Because the vehicle did not register a driver, it locked its doors from the outside, trapping Arenas inside while the flames grew more intense.
Going in and out of consciousness, Arenas said he attempted to break the bulletproof windows and escape from the smoke and flames. He said he doused himself in water to cool himself off after his clothes caught on fire. Bystanders eventually pulled him out of the vehicle.
Once he is cleared to practice, Arenas will suit up in an official capacity for the first time since before the accident. Weeks ahead of the crash, he participated in the McDonald’s All-American Game and scored 11 points in the showcase. The lengthy guard is an offensive threat who could excel on the other end of the floor, too, as he continues to settle into his frame.
“We’re getting a super unique talent,” Musselman said. “Unselfish. I think because of the amount of points that he scored, everybody associates the scoring average with him as a player. When I watch him play, it’s the vision, it’s the seeing things that happen on the floor, third, fourth options. We’re getting one of the most talented players in the country who’s reclassifying up.”
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