Muss Bus Secures Freshman Phenom Alijah Arenas: A Game-Changer for the Season

One of the key players for the “Muss Bus” is staying on board.

Alijah Arenas, the promising freshman guard from USC, has decided to return for another year with the Trojans. This decision comes after he withdrew from consideration for the NBA draft, as confirmed by a source familiar with the matter to the California Post on Monday.

The Los Angeles Times initially broke the news.

With Arenas’ return, USC coach Eric Musselman now has the strongest roster he has had in his three years with the Trojans. This development is likely to boost enthusiasm and support for the team, affectionately known as the “Muss Bus.”

Arenas will be playing alongside Rodney Rice, the top scorer who had a limited season last year due to a shoulder injury, and forward Jacob Cofie. The team also includes transfers Eric Reibe, K.J. Lewis, and Jalen Cox, as well as highly-rated freshmen Christian Collins and 7-foot twins Adonis and Darius Ratliff.

After surviving a harrowing Tesla Cybertruck crash last spring, Arenas suffered a further setback when he suffered a knee injury during summer workouts. Making his collegiate debut in late January, the 6-foot-6 wing player immediately flashed his talent with silky moves and bursts of scoring.

Arenas started 13 of 14 games, averaging 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists. He earned Big Ten Conference freshman-of-the-week honors after scoring a career-high 29 points against Indiana and 24 points against Penn State in early February.

Further showing his star potential, Arenas led the Trojans in scoring in their first two games after teammate Chad Baker-Mazara was dismissed from the team.

But there were also signs that Arenas might need further seasoning before heading to the NBA. He could be turnover-prone, made only 21.3% of his 3-pointers and was benched for the final six minutes of regulation and all but eight seconds of overtime during USC’s season-ending loss to Washington in the Big Ten Tournament.

Apparently not one to hold a grudge, Arenas will return for what the Trojans hope is an all-aboard season as they try to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time under Musselman.

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