The USC Trojans‘ early-season success has come with its fair share of uncertainty. While the team continues to stack wins, the roster has been held together by duct tape, patience, and necessity. Injuries continue to test the limits of their resilience. However, much-needed help may finally be available and on the way. It comes in the form of one of the program’s most anticipated freshmen, Alijah Arenas, especially when head coach Eric Musselman is “desperate.”

Following the Trojans’ 68-61 win over the Washington State Cougars on Sunday, Musselman has confirmed that five-star recruit Alijah, son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, is closing in on his long-awaited college debut. The young star has spent the last few months recovering from a torn meniscus suffered in July.

“The plan is for Alijah to start practicing on Tuesday or Wednesday,” Musselman told the media, outlining a cautious ramp-up process.

While Arenas will initially be limited to no-contact work, the expectation is that he could be game-ready by mid-January if all goes well.

“Obviously, we play Wednesday night, so Thursday probably off,” Musselman continued. “Then Friday would be a practice practice. He’s doing great. He worked out today. He sat in my office for three hours after shootaround, talking about a whole bunch of stuff. But yeah, he’ll be a shot in the arm or whatever word you want to use. And we’re desperate for that.”

The Trojans also remain without point guard Rodney Rice, whose lingering shoulder injury has kept him sidelined since the Maui Invitational game last month. Rice, before going down, was averaging 20.3 points and 6.0 assists per game. He served as a vital offensive counterbalance to Chad Baker-Mazara, who ranks among the nation’s top scorers.

Without Rice, the Trojans have leaned heavily on lineup improvisation, and while many fans hope to see the young star back on the team, Musselman said, “there’s a possibility” he might remain sidelined for the 2025-26 NCAA season.

“But there’s no finality on what happens,” Musselman concluded.

Even with the lack of depth because of injuries, the Trojans have exceeded everyone’s expectations. They sit in the top 40 of both KenPom and the NET rankings, a feat even the coach has openly acknowledged was unexpected, given the dire circumstances.

While Alijah Arenas’ arrival won’t instantly fix everything, as he hasn’t played a competitive college minute, his scoring ability, athleticism, and positional flexibility offer something the Trojans have been sorely lacking: another body capable of creating offense.

The team is also missing another veteran player, Amarion Dickerson, who will be out for three or four months with a right hip injury. Given his estimated timeline, he is likely to stay out for the season.

For now, though, all eyes are on Arenas. As the Trojans try to sustain momentum through a grueling stretch of the season, the freshman’s long-awaited debut could mark a turning point, not just for depth, but for how high the team’s ceiling truly is once healthy.

How have the USC Trojans stayed competitive without Alijah Arenas?

The Trojans currently have 10 wins and one loss this season. The sole loss came against the Washington Huskies, where they fell short by just 8 points. With three key players sidelined, the team is being led by Baker-Mazara, who has been Musselman’s go-to guard. He was reportedly suspended last month over a physical altercation with the coach. But it was soon officially confirmed that the whole thing was a bandwagon of rumors stemming from a parody account.

The senior guard is averaging 21.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game.

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The Trojans are scoring 87.5 points per game, but they are successfully holding off their opponents to 76.9 points. But they are also struggling with fouls. The team is ranked 6th nationally in fouls per game (19.7 PF/G), which puts their opponents on the free-throw line more frequently than they would like.

The Trojans will lock horns with the UTSA Roadrunners for their next game on December 17. They will then play against the Brown Bears on December 21. But it will specifically be the games after this that fans are most excited about. Musselman’s team will face two high-ranked teams back-to-back.

• The No. 2-ranked Michigan Wolverines on January 2.
• The No. 9-ranked Michigan State Spartans on January 5.

With January shaping up to be the Trojans’ toughest stretch of the season, the timing of Alijah Arenas’ return could not be more critical.