When it rains, it pours for the USC Trojans. Not only have they lost JuJu Watkins and will most likely be without her for the whole season, but the men’s team has also suffered a big loss.
Star prospect Alijah Arenas has suffered a major knee injury, and he’s now expected to be out for the next six to eight months. He was supposed to have a prominent role right out of the gate.
Nevertheless, even though losing your star commit and one of the most promising scorers in the game is a big blow, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein still likes their chances.
The Trojans can still thrive without Alijah Arenas
“The Trojans may not have a traditional point guard at the point of attack this season after highly touted freshman Alijah Arenas is out (6-8 months) with a knee injury,” Rothstein said. “But Eric Musselman still has enough to get USC to the NCAA Tournament in 2026.”
Technically, Arenas’ recovery timeline puts him right on track to suit up in the final stretch of the season, and he could give them a big scoring boost, even if it’s on limited minutes off the bench.
Then again, his camp might choose to play it safely and shut him down for the season altogether, and given his NBA aspirations, that might be the safest decision.
