If there's one person who knows about the career path of USC star Alijah Arenas, it is, of course, his dad, Gilbert Arenas.
Many believe that he is ready to make the jump to the NBA, with experts predicting him to be a mid-first-round to a second-round pick. As a 6-foot-6 guard, he has the size, length, and versatility that many scouts are looking for.
However, the elder Arenas, who played 11 seasons in the NBA, said on “Hoopin’ N Hollerin'” that his son is pondering returning to USC for a second year.
“I said, ‘If you want to come back again, why would you?' He said, ‘I want to lead college in scoring. I don’t think these people know what I could do.’ I said, ‘Fair, fair,'” said the former three-time All-Star.
“I said, ‘If you’re top five in either one, which one would you rather do? He was like, ‘I would rather come back again and be number five so I can lead the league in scoring.’ He puts too much into his craft that he doesn’t think he got evaluated correctly.”
The younger Arenas was a five-star recruit out of high school. He, however, had a rough start to his career with the Trojans when he suffered a meniscus injury. He also got into a car accident, which left him in the hospital for several months.
In 14 games at USC, he averaged 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. The Trojans did not make it to the NCAA Tournament after an 18‑14 record, including 7‑13 in the Big Ten.
His dad knows the pressure of deciding whether to return for another year in college or turn professional, as he had the same situation during his time at Arizona.
After two years with the Wildcats, including losing to Duke in the national championship game, he applied for the NBA draft, where he was selected by the Golden State Warriors as the 31st overall pick.
