Basketball usually took a backseat in the initial conversation between Eric Muselman and precious recruitment Alija Arenas.
On one side there was a teenager phenome who was leaping an early jump in college. Another was more curious about the mood of a USC male basketball coach Arenas when he woke up and how he understood about the people and its surrounding world.
And so when the USC coaches stood in front of the vibrant new scoreboard of the Galain Center on Friday morning – two days after the announcement that Arenas missed six to eight months with a knee injury – Musselman found himself stuttering, adding words together to Freshman.
“I probably feel close to him that I have coached in two months intervals because he is on the campus,” said Muselman.
Bond has already faced the most and more in four years.
The first recurrence came – Arenas left its senior year of high school to join the USC. Then after preparing the spring exercise, the Rush course came in Collegiate Basketball. Then, on 25 April, Arenas was in a serious car accident due to which she was placed in a coma.
After recovering from his injuries, Arenus was barely cleaned to practice medical carefully two weeks ago, when he maintained a minor meniscus tear and bone injury.
But even in those 14 days – and just a complete practice with Muselman – Arenas proved to be the focal point of his coach’s vision for the USC.
“We built a roster around some stuff that he could, and knowing that he could play one and two, and when he played one, there would be a big length,” said Muselman. “And I told people from the beginning of the recruitment process what he was a great passer.”
At 6 feet 7, Arenas took an average of 30.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game at Chatsworth High before landing 13th in the 2025 ESPN orbit.
In the absence of Arenas, Muselman said that he weighed a 14th player to the roster, but the same would happen when it can “help us.” The coach said that there will be a major obstacle, revenue-sharing limit.
Arenas will still be traveling, learning and rehabilitating with the USC. And he will continue the shadow of Muselman in a role that the coach never explained to him.
“For some people during the recruitment process, you call them and you can’t wait to get off the phone, and you are calling them to try to develop a relationship in a way,” said Muselman. “Alija and I are in such a good place, because when I called her, she picked up the phone.
He said: “We already had a built -in trust before we came here.”
etc.
Muselman said on Friday that Terence Williams II (wrist), whose injury “said to him” one of the most strange injuries I have seen “, will return on August 25 when Trojan reports for practice on the first day of the academic year. … Muselman said that Jordan Marsh has been the “biggest surprise” of the summer team, while Rodney will take over as the primary ball handler of Rice Trojan.
