Arenas Returns to USC, Boosting Trojans' 2022-23 Season

0:00On April 28th, Southern California Guard Alija Arenas is pulling out of the 2026 NBA draft and heading back for his sophomore year with, The Trojans. The school dropped the news on Tuesday, first reported by Jordan Richard of swish cultures. Last season, the 19-year-old averaged 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, shooting 34.1 percent from the field. He missed the first 18 games after knee surgery in July 2025, but debuted strong on January 21 under Coach Eric. Muscle men with 8 points in 29 minutes. Arenas lit it up with 4-20 point games, including a 29-point explosion against Indiana on February 3rd. Coming in as the number 10 overall recruit, and a projected first round pick, he faced a rough freshman year marked by that surgery and a car crash. Finalization just weeks earlier, still, he declared among 71 early entries before Friday's deadline.

1:00Now fully healthy after a summer of training, he's rejoining a stack squad. USC landed top recruits like Christian Collins at number 9, Adonis Ratliffe at 17, and Darius Ratliffe at 23, plus transfers Eric. Rybay from Yukon and KJ Lewis from Georgetown. With this reloaded roster and Arenas turning heads, The Trojans looked prime for a big bounce back season.