USC Basketball

USC basketball commit Alijah Arenas, who is the son of former NBA player Gilbert Arenas, is making significant progress as he continues to recover from a single-car crash that temporarily left him in a medically induced coma.

Josiah Johnson, who is the co-host and executive producer of Gilbert Arenas YouTube talk show Gil's Arena, provided an update Thursday.

"He was placed in an induced coma as a precautionary measure due to smoke inhalation," Johnson said.

"… Happy to announce that Alijah is doing much better. Just got off the phone with Gil about five minutes ago. Alijah's doing better, walking, talking, progressing very well. He should be released from the hospital very soon. No major injuries as a result of the car accident."

Matt Moret of The Athletic noted the Los Angeles Fire Department said Arenas hit a fire hydrant and a tree while driving his Tesla Cybertruck early Thursday morning. Bystanders had to pull him out of the car, which caught fire when he was still inside.

He was then taken to the hospital and placed into a medically induced coma.

On Friday, ESPN's Shams Charania shared an update from the family :

"In a remarkable and hopeful development, Alijah Arenas has come out of his coma and has shown significant signs of progress within the last 24 hours," the update said. "In a powerful and emotional moment, Alijah opened his eyes and was able to write on a piece of paper that he remembered smoke and asked, 'Did anyone get hurt?'"

Arenas committed to USC in January during an appearance on his father's show. He is a 5-star prospect and the No. 7 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Alijah and his family following this morning's accident," USC men's basketball head coach Eric Musselman said Thursday after the car crash. "Please keep him, his teammates and friends, and the entire Arenas family in your prayers."

Five-star class of 2025 shooting guard Aljah Arenas announced his commitment to USC on Thursday during the latest edition of the Gil's Arena podcast, hosted by his father, ex-NBA star guard Gilbert Arenas.

Arenas called USC head coach Eric Musselman while on air to reveal his decision.

It's a huge win for the program, as Arenas is ranked seventh on the 247Sports Composite list of high school class of 2025 men's basketball players.

Arenas plays for Chatsworth High School in Chatsworth, California. Scouts have glowed over his work, including Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports.

"Arenas is a smooth scoring guard with terrific positional size and length," Finkelstein wrote in part in Oct. 2024.

"He's a bit of a late-bloomer who has continued to grow throughout his high school career and now stands at nearly 6-foot-6 with a massive 7-foot wingspan and 8-foot-9 standing reach. He also has elite, almost glue-like hands."

Finkelstein also called Arenas "a glaring talent in the mist of a late growth spurt" with
"significant long-term potential."

Per 247Sports, 20 teams offered Arenas, including his father's old school, Arizona. Other big-name programs that sought Arenas included Alabama, Kansas, Kentucky and UCLA.

But he'll be playing for USC, which also has two 4-stars in the class of 2025 on the way in shooting guard Jerry Easter (No. 45 overall) and combo guard Elzie Harrington.

Kiyan Anthony is close to making his college decision, but is still deciding between Syracuse, USC and Auburn.

Making an appearance on Angel Reese's podcast, Unapologetically Angel, the son of NBA legend Carmelo Anthony revealed the deciding factor in where he decides to play college basketball.

"Just what coaches have been on me the latest and where I can go in right away and see growth, where I can develop my game and just try to win," Anthony said. "Whatever the coaches are telling me, where they can see my playing, what my role is."

Anthony is considered to be a 4-star prospect by 247Sports Composite and is listed as the No. 28 player nationally, the No. 6 shooting guard in the country and the top player in the state of New York out of the Class of 2025.

He holds offers from Syracuse, USC, Florida State and others, though is still awaiting an offer from Auburn, one of the schools in his top three. According to 247Sports' Dushawn London, Anthony said in September that he planned to commit in the last week of October or the first week of November, so his decision is coming soon.

Given his father's legacy at Syracuse, there's certainly an expectation that he'll strongly consider the Orange. He told London in September that Syracuse made an impression on him during an in-home visit.

"Obviously everybody knows they came to my house two weeks ago," he said. "They presented where they see me fitting, NIL, housing, and really showed out with the house visit. I also went on the official visit last year so maybe I'll do another one. If not I've already seen everything and they've been to my house. I already know everything I need with them."

But Anthony obviously has two outstanding schools to consider in USC and Auburn, so he'll have a tough decision to make.

Wherever he goes, he'll look to follow up his father's collegiate success with a fruitful career of his own.

Kiyan Anthony could wind up suiting up for the same college that Bronny James once played for .

The son of Carmelo Anthony made an official visit to USC, where James spent his only collegiate season in 2023-24. He was with his father and took several photos donning Trojan gear.

He is the No. 1 player in New York and rated as a four-star prospect by 247 Sports composite rankings. His father is notably a legend from the Syracuse program and Anthony is also a candidate to follow his father's path.

He has received 21 scholarship offers, including schools like Rutgers, Florida State and Ohio State. He possesses a 6'5", 185-pound frame and plays for Long Island Lutheran in Glen Head, New York.

His father played one collegiate season with the Orange and it was a dominant one. He averaged 22.2 points, 10 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 35 games. He was named a consensus All-American and helped lead the Orange to a National Championship.

While these would be nearly impossible standards to live up to, the younger Anthony is an intriguing prospect and could choose to pursue a different path from his father.

It may not surprise you to learn which signature sneaker holds a special place in the heart of NBA draft prospect Bronny James.

James was featured in the newest episode of Complex's Sneaker Shopping series. The USC guard said he doesn't have a clear preference for what he wears during games but chose the LeBron 1s when pressed for a favorite.

"I love playing in those," he said. "They're super light. They look great."

Being the son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James comes with obvious perks. One such luxury is always having a direct connection to Nike for any sneaker and apparel needs.

Bronny told Complex's Joe La Puma he hasn't been inside a physical shoe store since "probably before COVID." He called it "kind of overwhelming" to be back in one given the volume of kicks on display.

It came as little surprise when Nike signed James to an NIL deal in 2022, when he was still just a senior in high school. The partnership will carry on as he moves to the next stage of his basketball career.

Expect to see quite the rotation from Bronny throughout his rookie year as he picks whatever catches his fancy on a given night.

NBA scouts believe USC didn't play Bronny James at his best position when he spent last season with the Trojans.

Appearing on the Pat McAfee Show on Thursday, ESPN's Brian Windhorst said scouts he spoke to felt USC didn't do James any favors by playing him on the wing instead of at point guard:

James played off the ball at USC, while potential lottery pick Isaiah Collier served as the team's point guard last year.

Windhorst's comments come amid some uncertainty about where James will play basketball next year. James has entered the NCAA transfer portal, signaling the end of his time at USC after just one year.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, James is expected to consider Duquesne:

"Duquesne's new coach, Dru Joyce, was a high school teammate of LeBron's and is a longtime James family friend. Joyce was promoted to head coach after Keith Dambrot retired following an Atlantic 10 championship and a run to the NCAA tournament. Dambrot was the high school coach of James and Joyce at St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron, Ohio."

However, James has also announced that he has entered his name for NBA draft consideration while maintaining his college eligibility.

He can remain in college by withdrawing his name from the draft pool by June 16 at 5 p.m. ET.

USC star Isaiah Collier is moving on after one season in Los Angeles.

The 6'5" guard declared for the 2024 NBA draft via Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Before the 2023-24 season tipped off, Collier bolting for the NBA at the earliest opportunity was basically a foregone conclusion. He was the No. 1 overall player in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2023 class and considered a prospective top-five draft pick.

Then the year got underway. USC went from being ranked in the preseason to finishing 15-18 and missing the NCAA tournament.

Like the Trojans as a whole, Collier failed to meet his lofty expectations. His production was lagging before he suffered a wrist injury in mid-January that sidelined him for more than a month.

The freshman averaged 16.3 points, 4.3 assists and 1.5 steals, and he shot 49 percent overall and 33.8 percent from beyond the arc.

In a mock draft posted on Jan. 30, Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman wrote how the injury was "costing Isaiah Collier valuable time, as concerns over his shooting and decision-making made their way into scouting circles prior to him being ruled out."

"His positional strength, shiftiness, ball-handling, passing and confidence-driven shotmaking flashes are still persuasive enough for NBA teams to picture a rotational asset," Wasserman wrote. "The creation, rim pressure and playmaking remain attractive—just not quite for a starting point guard role."

Wasserman also projected Collier's ceiling to be a top-10 pick, noting that "teams that think Collier can improve his shot and decision-making" may deem him worthy of selection.

The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor outlined the stark dichotomy with Collier. He called Collier a "good ball-handler with a strong frame" while also labeling him a "daredevil playmaker who needs to cut down on reckless mistakes without removing the spirit that makes him so dynamic."

O'Connor added that Collier has "shooting upside" but cautioned he's an "unproven shooter with shaky mechanics who sprays misses from all over the court."

No draft prospect is ever the finished article when they initially make the leap to the pros. Even by that standard, so much about Collier's game is theoretical.

His fall on 2024 draft boards raised the possibility of him staying in college for another season. He could continue to refine his skill set, and thanks to the new NIL rules, he wouldn't have had to leave a ton of money on the table.

But spurning the NBA is always a tough call for a player who's all but guaranteed to be a first-rounder. Staying in college isn't always guaranteed to help, either. In Collier's case, he could've tumbled further if he failed to make a big enough leap.

His development ultimately might be best served by moving on now, whether he's contributing to an NBA team or working out in the NBA G League.

Bronny James' decision to enter both the 2024 NBA draft and the NCAA transfer portal "did not come as a surprise to NBA teams," according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

Most NBA teams that spoke with ESPN expect James to return to the NCAA for a second season, Givony reported.

James, who played his freshman season with USC, announced his decision in a Friday Instagram post.

His announcement came days after longtime USC coach Andy Enfield announced his departure to coach at SMU.

The son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, James saw his college debut delayed after he suffered cardiac arrest during an offseason practice.

After returning to the court in December, James averaged 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds through 25 games in his freshman season with USC.

James struggled with inconsistency during his freshman season as he went through streaks of missing shots. He finished the campaign having shot 36.6 percent from the field, and 26.7 percent from deep.

Those statistics leave James outside the range of Jonathan Wasserman's latest 2024 NBA Mock Draft for Bleacher Report, leaving open the possibility he could attempt to increase his production and consistency during a second college season.

This may not be the first time James puts his name out in the NBA draft. League rules allow him to enter and withdraw from two drafts before losing his college eligibility.

USC guard Bronny James is declaring for the 2024 NBA draft, but he will also retain his college eligibility and enter the transfer portal.

A coaching change, such as the one USC experienced with Andy Enfield leaving for SMU, is bound to have players examining their futures. If James does stay in college, a change of scenery might be what he needs to bounce back from a disappointing freshman season.

Once rumors surfaced in early April linking James to the portal, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James said his son would have some "tough decisions" ahead.

Being the son of a 20-time NBA All-Star meant Bronny was a household name before he ever stepped onto a college court. He also built a strong profile for himself independent of his family name, sitting 22nd overall in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2023 class.

James had to wait to make his Trojans debut until mid-December, though, after suffering cardiac arrest during an offseason workout. In 25 games, he averaged 4.8 points and 2.1 assists while shooting 26.7 percent from beyond the arc.

Attempting to work his way into the rotation in the middle of the season was made more difficult by USC falling well short of expectations.

Along with James, Enfield signed Isaiah Collier, the top-ranked high school player in the country, and Arrinten Page, another 4-star recruit. A deep run in the NCAA tournament looked more than plausible.

However, USC was already 5-3 by the time James suited up, and things didn't get better from there. The Trojans went 15-18 overall and were tied for the second-worst record (8-12) in the Pac-12.

Thanks to his disjointed freshman campaign, what looked like a nailed-on certainty in terms of James' draft status became a little less assured. He fell down 2024 big boards, raising the obvious question about whether he might return—be it with the Trojans or another program—for a sophomore season.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman examined James' draft stock in March, setting his ceiling at the latter stages of the first round and his floor as undrafted altogether.

"In the late first round, all it takes is one team to see a worthwhile gamble on James' shooting progression and the likelihood it creates a three-and-D, rotational guard outcome," Wasserman wrote. "... However, his scoring inefficiency has raised questions about his ability to create, finish in the half court and hit jumpers consistently. He hasn't demonstrated any single, convincing skill for scoring at the next level. And teams might not believe James' defense and passing IQ are enough to justify NBA minutes."

James' slide is also notable given his father's repeated comments about wanting to team up in the NBA. LeBron is eligible for free agency, and one line of thought was that he and his son could effectively be a package deal.

The idea made more sense when Bronny was floated as a potential top-10 selection. The incentive to select Bronny with an eye toward signing LeBron became lower when he was projected as a late-first or even second-round prospect.

One silver lining is that James may avoid the pressure that would inevitably come with not only being a lottery pick but also playing alongside his dad, who's one of the greatest players in NBA history.

Declaring for the draft is the most sensible call because it allows James and his representatives to get a more firm idea as to where he stands among NBA talent evaluators. If they're getting a sense that he's a late first-rounder at best and more likely to be picked later than that, putting off his pro dreams until 2025 might be more beneficial for his career.