Alijah Arenas, the son of Gilbert Arenas, is set to enter his sophomore year at USC. The former McDonald's All American and projected draft pick was involved in a car accident that paused his pro outlook and sidelined him until last December. After the tragedy, Arenas attempted to return to the Trojans before the season concluded.
In 14 games last season, he averaged 14 points, two rebounds and two assists on 34-21-79 shooting splits. Rust was expected given he didn't play his first game until late January. Most evaluators gave him a pass for his disastrous season, because of the adversity and obstacles Alijah had to overcome just to play last year. His potentially controversial play style makes him the most divisive prospect in this upcoming draft.
Arenas is a 6-foot-6 jumbo-sized combo scoring guard with impressive defensive instincts. He operates a ton in isolation and relies heavily on tough shot making. He shot 41% on all rim attempts and 29% on all catch and shoot threes, which is extremely concerning for a guard. The efficiency was rough last season but this came without an off season of skill development. He's a tough eval because the same shots he took for Compton Magic were the same ones he got off at USC, he just made less of them. His offensive creativity and shifty handle will turn heads, but is it sustainable?
Arenas plays with a high motor, especially defensively. This is uncommon for most microwave scorers. He's not just worried about getting his buckets, he also has a willingness to defend and wants to make winning plays. Arenas has great physical tools with his positional size, length and athleticism to be a good defender at the next level. This is encouraging, considering most teams will likely not feature him offensively right away. Defense will get him on the floor and from there he can explore his offensive translation to the NBA.
Arenas is one of the most gifted offensive players in the 2027 draft class. For years, there's been questions about whether this archetype is conducive to winning. We've seen a similar player like Cameron Thomas fade out of the NBA for this exact playstyle. Arenas will need to prove that he can become an efficient player or he will need to accept a scaled down defensive wing role if he wants to make it in the league long term.
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