The USC Trojans men's basketball team welcomes a roster that has a shot at Big Ten title contention this season. Talent will not be the issue this season, and the Trojans have the roster deep enough to handle injuries. One question to follow this season: Who will be the lead guy?
My hot take of the week is that the USC Trojans' men's basketball team's points leader this season will be Alijah Arenas. Arenas enters the year fully healthy, with no other distractions. That was not the case for him his freshman season.
This Trojans team has a more talented roster, and there are a lot of mouths to feed. However, that will only benefit Arenas. Teams will not be able to single him out because of his teammates. Having Rodney Rice by his side will also ensure that Arenas has looks he can take advantage of. Along with other dominant players in the lineup at all times.
In the first exhibition game, Arenas showed he worked on his game a ton this offseason. He had 17 points and shot 7-for-15. He looked extremely confident against North Carolina. He looked just like he did in February last season, when he had 3 straight 20-point performances. His ascension and development will take the Trojans very far this season.
Last year he averaged 14.1 points and 2.1 assists per contest. This season, he will average 20 points and 5 assists per game. His playmaking will improve immensely with him having better supporting castmates. He will also be the guy the Trojans look to down the stretch to make the big shots. With his improved production, he will show college basketball that he is one of the best players in the country. That will result in him being a prospect highly coveted in the upcoming draft.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Alijah Arenas will emerge as the Trojans' top scorer this season