The outlook for USC men’s basketball took a serious hit in late July when the team announced that freshman guard Alijah Arenas, a five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American, would likely miss most of the 2025-26 season with a knee injury that will require surgery.

While an official diagnosis has not been released, a source familiar with the situation told the Los Angeles Times that an MRI found a slight meniscus tear and a bone bruise after the injury was announced.

According to the team, Arenas will be out for at least six to eight months, meaning he will certainly be absent for the beginning of the season in November — and potentially the 2025-26 season as a whole. Without one of their presumptive starting guards, the Trojans will need to rely on their other new arrivals to take his place.

Arenas’ health ‘No. 1 priority’

The third-highest ranking commit in team history, Arenas was set to play a central role for the Trojans as a freshman after reclassifying in December 2024 to graduate a year early and play for USC come November.

“We built the roster around some of the stuff that he could do, and knowing that he could play the one and the two,” Head Coach Eric Musselman said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. “I told people from the beginning of the recruiting process what a great passer he was.”

The son of former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, Alijah was ESPN’s No. 13 recruit in the Class of 2025 and ranked as the No. 4 prospect and the No. 1 shooting guard in the Class of 2026 before reclassifying.

“[Arenas] is understandably disappointed that he will not be able to take the court to start the season, but his health is our No. 1 priority,” Musselman said in a post on X following the injury announcement. “We have no doubt that he will come back even stronger.”

In April, Arenas was hospitalized and placed in a medically induced coma after he was involved in a severe car crash, but he avoided any major injuries.

After recovering from the accident, Arenas had been cleared to practice earlier in July, just weeks before his recent knee injury.

New arrivals looking to step up in Arenas’ place

Arenas’ injury timeline raises some concerns about the team’s postseason hopes; an eight-month recovery would put Arenas back in action around the NCAA Tournament in March. A tournament bid, however, isn’t a guarantee for a Trojan squad that missed out on March Madness last season and now may be lacking its top recruit.

Fortunately for USC, the team has plenty of other significant newcomers who can step up in Arenas’ absence. 

Junior guard Rodney Rice, who transferred to USC in May following a Sweet 16 appearance with Maryland, projects to be one of the Trojans’ primary guards; he’ll be joined by freshman guard Jerry Easter II, a four-star commit and ESPN’s No. 45 recruit in the Class of 2025.

Recent transfer graduate forward Chad Baker-Mazara will further bolster USC’s lineup, joining the Trojans after receiving All-SEC Third Team honors with Auburn. Baker-Mazara led the Tigers with 18 points in last season’s Final Four game against Florida, proving himself as a legitimate postseason threat should USC find itself in the tournament.