2026 NBA Draft: USC's Alijah Arenas to test waters as 71 early entrants, fewest since 2003, declare

Alijah Arenas to withdraw from NBA draft and return to USC

USC star Alijah Arenas will not to enter the 2026 NBA draft and will instead return to the Trojans in a major win for coach Eric Musselman.

2026 NBA Draft: USC's Alijah Arenas to test waters as 71 early entrants, fewest since 2003, declare

Arenas' decision was biggest unknown at the NBA's deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft

Alijah Arenas Headlines Three USC Trojans Filed as Early NBA Draft Candidates

Three USC Trojans players were filed as early 2026 NBA Draft candidates: guard Alijah Arenas, forward Jacob Cofie, and center Gabe Dynes.

Alijah Arenas Heads Back To USC After Withdrawing From 2026 NBA Draft, What Does It Mean For The Trojans

USC Trojans head coach Eric Musselman received fantastic news for his program last night as Alijah Arenas withdrew from the 2026 NBA draft and is heading back to Los Angeles, per Jordan Richard of Swishcultures. “Alijah Arenas will withdraw from the NBA draft and return to USC, a source says,” Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times said via X. “That’s big news for Eric Musselman and the Trojans.” Alijah Arenas Returns To USC After Withdrawing From…

NBA announces fewest early entrants for draft in more than 2 decades

The NIL era is continuing to have a massive impact on college basketball. The latest example was made clear on Monday as the NBA officially released a list of 71 early entrants into the 2026 NBA Draft. As noted by draft expert Jonathan Givony below, that’s down from 106 last year and drastically lower from a peak of 363 in 2021. Givony also reports that this is the lowest total of early-entrants since 2003. Until 2006, high school prospects were…

Alijah Arenas files for the NBA Draft, could return to USC

.flex_cell.av-3agpaioi-c362f91757855ecf33115fb92dc998c7{ vertical-align:top; } Alijah Arenas files for the NBA Draft, could return to USC Arenas and Jacob Cofie entered the draft as early entry candidates before Friday’s deadline. #top .hr.hr-invisible.av-2wf7ohqq-786e7ebd05fe00b93388b75eb644107f{ height:10px; } By DILLON ZAMPERIN April 27, 2026 #top .hr.hr-invisible.av-8eaegb6-2871918894fa6f4994b5ff7ba9280794{ height:10px; } .avia-image-conta…