Skip to main content
Join Now
Team Avatar
USC

Report: Alijah Arenas to withdraw from 2026 NBA Draft, return to USC

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh04/28/26griffin_mcveigh

Alijah Arenas was a surprise name to pop up on the list of entrants to the 2026 NBA Draft on Monday. The USC guard decided to at least test the professional waters.

Of course, the door to return to USC was still open for Arenas. Hours later, he reportedly exercised the right.

“News: Alijah Arenas will withdraw from the NBA draft and return to USC, a source says,” Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times said via X. “That’s big news for Eric Musselman and the Trojans.”

Arenas missed 18 games this past season for the Trojans due to an injury. A scary car accident back in April took him away from basketball for a long time. Thankfully, there was a return to the court for Arenas. And once there, he turned into a productive player for the Trojans.

Musselman instantly threw Arenas into the starting lineup, starting 13 of the final 14 games. He put up 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game when out there. A huge two-game stretch vs. Illinois and Penn State saw Arenas go for 29 and 24 points, respectively. Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors came out on the other side as a reward.

Folks in Los Angeles have to be pretty excited about getting Arenas back. Not only will he get a full offseason, but Arenas is hoping to remain healthy and play a full year of college basketball.

More on Alijah Arenas, early evaluation from Eric Musselman

Arenas played high school basketball at Chatsworth (CA), where he was a Five-Star Plus+ prospect. He was the No. 12 overall recruit in the 2025 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Of course, the injury cooled down some of the expectations on Arenas. A slow start did come before he fully came into his skin. Musselman outlined as such back in early February, right before the previously mentioned breakout.

“I think this is expected when a player has to reclassify,” Musselman said. “You can see the talent, and his ability to go get a shot whenever he basically wants. It’s a difficult thing for coaches to work him in and it’s a difficult thing for a player to work his way in too, as a younger player, but you can see the incredible potential. The potential that he’s going to have a great career at the next level.”