2026 NBA Draft: Alijah Arenas Scouting Report
- Babcock Hoops
- Feb 8
- 2 min read
Throughout the 2025-26 season, Babcock Hoops will provide comprehensive scouting reports on top 2026 NBA Draft prospects, analyzing their strengths, weaknesses, and potential at the next level. Our reports offer an in-depth look at each player's development and draft outlook.
Alijah Arenas
Position:Â Guard
College:Â USC
Class:Â Freshman
Height/Weight:Â 6'6", 199 lbs
Birthdate:Â March 16, 2007
High School: Chatsworth HS (CA)
Player Overview
Alijah Arenas is an exciting guard prospect with legitimate upside, and it starts with his blend of size, creativity, and scoring versatility. At 6'6", he has NBA-caliber positional size and length for a modern guard/wing, and he shows flashes of being a wing initiator who can create advantages both on and off the ball. He’s comfortable getting to mid-range pull-ups, can generate space with a smooth handle, and shows soft touch across all three levels.
Arenas' swing skills are consistency, physicality, and defensive discipline. His three-point shooting has been inconsistent, and his defensive engagement can waver, leading to positioning mistakes. Offensively, he also tends to settle for tougher, below-the-rim finishes instead of consistently simplifying plays at the rim. If he tightens his habits, adds more functional strength, and plays with more force on both ends, his talent can translate into dependable two-way impact.
“The first thing that stands out when watching Arenas is his positional size. Then, as you keep watching, you see his skill level, craftiness, creativity, and his potential to become a dynamic three-level scorer. His upside is high. The question is whether he’s ready to make the jump to the league now or later." — Matt Babcock, NBA Draft Analyst
Strengths
Craft and Creativity:Â Can score and create in multiple ways; shows natural feel as an offensive weapon, on and off the ball.
Positional Size and Length:Â Ideal modern guard/wing frame that projects to multiple roles.
Soft Touch and Three-Level Potential:Â Flashes shot-making and touch that point to versatile scoring upside.
Handle and Separation Ability:Â Smooth handle helps him open lanes and create space for pull-ups.
Flashes of Finishing Through Contact:Â When he commits to his line, he can finish through contact with momentum.
Mid-Range Shot Creation:Â Comfortable getting to spots and rising into pull-ups, especially when defenses close out hard.
Concerns
Shooting Consistency:Â Three-point results have been mixed; he must become more dependable to maximize his off-ball value.
Defensive Discipline and Positioning:Â Can drift out of position and give away angles, which hurts possession-to-possession reliability.
Shot Selection at the Rim:Â Too many tough, below-the-rim attempts instead of consistently creating cleaner outcomes.
Physicality and Strength Development:Â Needs to embrace contact and play with more force, especially against stronger defenders.
Bottom Line
Arenas has the tools that get NBA evaluators interested: size, touch, flashes of creative shot-making, and the ability to create space. The next step is to turn flashes into more reliable, repeatable impact. If his three-point shooting stabilizes and he improves his defensive discipline and physicality, he has a clear pathway to becoming a valuable two-way guard/wing prospect. His development timeline will likely be tied to how quickly consistency and strength catch up to his talent.
