Alijah Arenas Named Big Ten Freshman of the Week After Clutch Performances for USC
USC guard Alijah Arenas has officially arrived on the college basketball scene - and the Big Ten is taking notice. The freshman was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week after leading the Trojans to back-to-back wins over Indiana and Penn State, stepping up in a major way when his team needed it most.
This marks the first time a USC men’s basketball player has earned the conference honor this season, and based on the way Arenas has been playing, it may not be the last.
Let’s talk about what he’s done to earn it.
Against Indiana, Arenas exploded for a career-high 29 points, adding six rebounds to help USC secure an 81-75 win. It wasn’t just the numbers - it was the way he got them. Confident, poised, and aggressive, Arenas looked every bit like a player who wasn’t just back from injury, but ready to take over.
Then came Sunday’s thriller at Penn State. With the game tied and the clock winding down, Arenas delivered again - this time with a clutch two-point bucket with just 0.7 seconds left on the clock.
Final score: 77-75, Trojans. Ballgame.
“Alijah has been phenomenal for us obviously,” USC head coach Eric Musselman said after the win. “We wanted to put the ball in his hands at the end of the game.”
That trust says everything. And it’s even more remarkable when you consider what Arenas has already overcome.
The freshman missed USC’s first 18 games of the season after tearing his meniscus over the summer - an injury that came after he had already recovered from a near-fatal car accident earlier in the year. It’s been a long road back, but in just six games since returning, Arenas is averaging 13.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.
Zoom in on just the last two games, though, and the numbers jump off the page: 26.5 points per game on 43.1% shooting from the field and 40% from beyond the arc. That’s not just good - that’s game-changing production from a freshman still finding his rhythm.
He’s also catching national attention. ESPN’s Dick Vitale gave Arenas a nod as his “Diaper Dandy” of the week, a shoutout reserved for the top freshmen in college hoops.
With seven regular-season games left, USC sits at 18-6 overall and 7-6 in conference play - right in the thick of the NCAA Tournament bubble conversation. Next up is a trip to Columbus to face Ohio State on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. PST, a matchup with major postseason implications.
And after what we’ve seen over the last two games, there’s no question who the Trojans will be leaning on.
Alijah Arenas is here - and he’s just getting started.