Alijah Arenas Making ‘Significant Progress’ After Car Crash

Five-star prospect Alijah Arenas was involved in a serious car accident early Thursday morning and had to be placed in a medically-induced coma.

According to Arenas’ family (Twitter link via Shams Charania of ESPN), the 18-year-old is no longer in a coma and “has shown significant signs of progress within the last 24 hours.” While Arenas remains intubated, the fact that he was able to come out of the coma was a “critical step forward in his recovery.”

Arenas was reportedly the driver and lone person involved in the crash. After hitting a fire hydrant and tree, the vehicle he was driving caught on fire, and nearby bystanders helped rescue him from the accident, per the statement.

A 6’6″ shooting guard who has committed to playing his freshman season at USC, Arenas was No. 13 on ESPN’s recruiting rankings for the 2025 class, making him a possible first-round pick in 2026. He is the son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas.

Our best wishes go out to Arenas as well his family and friends as he continues to recover.

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