Alijah Arenas commits to USC

[WILD]

Wow

https://x.com/MattRMoreno/status/1885074804660986085?t=glrtbigPOL8eXgUMQHqnIA&s=19
https://x.com/MattRMoreno/status/1885075571635523682?t=4-AJ7B23PihPVGmRTlR5cQ&s=19

[WILD]

https://x.com/GilsArenaShow/status/1885074764055695777?t=tw2pOMqbwbWzT0OwpWbiag&s=19

[|ᴘ|ʀ|ʏ|ᴍ|ᴇ|]

Pretty clear he didn't feel like he HAD TO go to Arizona just because his dad did. It seems like it was his decision to make, and it may even work out better this way for all parties involved. I'm not mad at him for it.

[FOOS]

Unacceptable Lloyd could not land him.   Dude is NOT a recruiter....   now makes me really skeptical on Peat and Burries

[KansasCityCats]

Wow. That's shocking. He wants to follow in the footsteps of Bronny and get drafted, based on the abilities that weren't showcased?  And in front of zero fans?  Not to mention the Trojans' struggle in the Big Ten.

I understand if he wanted to play for Pope's high powered offense, in front of the dedicated fans at the Yum Center or for the legendary Bill Self.

But USC is baffling to me.

[KansasCityCats]

Unacceptable Lloyd could not land him.  Dude is NOT a recruiter....  now makes me really skeptical on Peat and Burries

This recruitment isn't indicative of our staff. Gil always did whatever he wanted in life and on the court.

[Little George]

Yea, SC is the suck of it all in hoops.

[arxpert]

https://x.com/GilsArenaShow/status/1885074764055695777?t=tw2pOMqbwbWzT0OwpWbiag&s=19

Some examination of the announcement.

Gilbert is noticeably disappointed.

Alijah is going to be coached by a guy who actually can coach so I think ALL the pressure is on Alijah now as opposed to coming to Arizona, Eric Musselman is not going to let anything slide.

Big 10 is a weak basketball conference. There will be plenty of scoring to be had. It is right up Alijah's alley.

Gilbert had a little PTSD when he heard that confetti cannon go off. The Pops reminded him of gun shots.

Alijah played his whole life underneath the talent level of the top tier by large. I don't care what circuits he attended. There is a difference between showing up for a weekend or week of travel ball and actually being in the big time Academy setting. Not saying it won't work out. Lonzo and Lamelo Ball did the same thing with Onyeka Okungwu. Didn't work out for "DJ Liangelo Ball" (untz untz untz).

But I think this is a true coin flip. USC is definitely paying a high ticket price. That is 1 thing Gilbert was not going to let slide for ANY school. This strategy didn't work for Isaiah Collier - He had a terrible year. He has started to play well for the Jazz recently, but this is about a 1 and Done College Player. I would have liked to have seen Gilbert and Lebron attending some games after their epic rivalry as players.

[arxpert]

Unacceptable Lloyd could not land him.   Dude is NOT a recruiter....   now makes me really skeptical on Peat and Burries

I think that landing Bryce James was a great thing for Tommy, but we should definitely take inventory of the level of prospect Bryce is. I happen to think he blows Bronny out of the water as a prospect, but that's just my opinion. The fact is, Tommy needs to be able to land Koa Peat. There really is no excuse. Burries... Not sure. I would think he should come to Arizona as well, but Peat is someone Tommy legitimately needs to sign.

[arxpert]

Pretty clear he didn't feel like he HAD TO go to Arizona just because his dad did. It seems like it was his decision to make, and it may even work out better this way for all parties involved. I'm not mad at him for it.

I do agree that Legacy is pretty meaningless in this Gen Z / soon to be Gen Alpha era (holy cow the arguments that Luka is the GOAT is coming if anyone thought Lebron vs MJ debates were bad) Gilbert is running the show. If I had to guess, I would say the money was equal or equal enough. Alijah strikes me as a kid who grew up privileged and wants to stay as close to his "Friends" as possible during this process.