Men’s Hoops Report: Interview With Alijah Arenas During NBA All Star Weekend

Panini America is hosting Alijah Arenas along with several other NBA players and legends at the Panini Prizm VIP lounge in LA during All-Star Weekend.

Whenever I’ve spoken to or interviewed him he has come across as both very mature for an 18 year old and very humble for a former consensus five-star high school player and now one of the most recognized players in the Big Ten. 

In every formal interview and informal conversation since Alijah arrived on campus, he is always soft spoken, courteous and listens carefully to what others are saying. He uses the phrase “staying humble” often and in every interaction I’ve had the phrase describes him very well. He has been a great ambassador for the university during his time at USC. 

He has also seems like a basketball sponge, trying to learn and absorb everything. I’ve never seen a player out with an injury stay so connected with his team and coach starting before his rehab began. He followed Muss everywhere on his scooter when he couldn’t walk and then on crutches, trying to hear everything. 

When I spoke with him Saturday afternoon, he anticipated having the opportunity to meet players and other NBA officials over the weekend.

Alijah now has his own Panini trading card, the first he has ever had. He called it “a dream come true.” 

Alijah said he didn’t feel any extra pressure knowing he was USC’s primary scoring option with Chad Baker-Mazara out the last few games. He looks to Chad as a role model and Chad has given him a “pattern to follow.” When Chad returns Alijah’s role will “change for the better.” Alijah said that Chad is the leader of the team and that he has learned some leadership skills from Chad. 

The final play to beat Penn State last week on the road wasn’t a play they had practiced; “I had never seen that play before”. Muss called time out with just over seven seconds remaining and drew the play up in the huddle. 

Alijah received the inbounds pass on the right side of the lane and the other Trojans cleared out. Alijah dribbled right, then left and was able to spin to the right and put up a shot off the glass with about a second left for the win. Muss said after the game that he had used the same play for Alijah’s dad Gilbert in an NBA game with the same result, which Alijah didn’t know before. 

I asked Alijah about Kam Woods’ addition to the team. “Kam is one of our best players. He’s our point guard and he’s brought everyone together. He’s brought nothing but greatness to the team.” 

It was “very difficult” while he rehabbing from his knee injury, especially the mental part. Alijah was working to “stay humble” during the process, “knowing it will be ok” if he did the work. 

“I’ve been shocked and surprised” playing at the college level”, he told me. “The physicality and IQ are way higher (than he had anticipated or experienced)”. 

They have started film study of Illinois, the Trojans’ next opponent. “They have elite shooters. We’ve bern studying what can be attacked.” He doesn’t view this game as more important because the Illini are ranked in the Top 10. “I treat every game the same.”  

When I asked Alijah whether he was looking forward to playing in the NCAA Tournament he gave a surprising answer. I thought every high school player dreamed of playing in the Tournament. “The funny part is that I wasn’t looking forward to it. (But) my teammates showed me how much it meant to them and it has become a dream of mine.”

Trojan fans will always feel cheated in a sense if this is indeed Alijah’s only season at USC as many expect. They will always look back and wonder how much better Alijah and the team would have been if he didn’t suffer the knee injury and had a full preseason and played the entire season.