"Reminds me of Kobe": College hoops fans react to Gilbert Arenas' son Alijah Arenas making it to ESPN's top 25 high school hoopers
Alijah Arenas, son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, is a top-five ranked player in the 2026 class. His increasing stock comes to light with ESPN’s recruiting director, Paul Biancardi’s, top 25 high school players from the coming three classes.
Arenas is ranked 11th on Biancardi’s list, behind only seven players in the 2025 class. The ranking comes in light of a composed game, off-ball movements and ability to find his hot spots on the floor; which is on almost every step.
Fans immediately stormed the update, highlighting Alijah Arenas' overall talent:
"Reminds me of Kobe," a fan wrote.
"Top 5 in his class while being a year older," a hoop enthusiast noticed.
"Kid is a monster! Seeing him on tape is one thing but it so different in person. He plays with a level of pace that players his age just don’t have. Smooth all around," another fan commented.
Moreover, others mentioned the constant impact of Gilbert Arenas and his wife on the 17-year-old's professional journey:
"Shld MOSDEF be able 2 shoot," a fan wrote.
"Mom’s genes strong," another fan wrote.
"I’m not surprised by this his dad is a hard worker and he pushes him they work out in the morning before school and after school," another fan wrote.
Alijah Arenas is already impressing Division I coaches
Arenas currently plays for Chatsworth High School in California. Last season, he averaged 33.0 points throughout the year while shooting nearly 50% from the field. His playing style has gripped fans’ attention.
Moreover, his consistency has garnered invites from several Division I program, years before he will play his first college game.
The sophomore currently has 17 offers, including big names like Alabama Crimson Tide, UCLA Bruins, Texas Longhorns, Kansas Jayhawks, Arizona State and Gilbert Arenas’ alma mater Arizona Wildcats. With Arenas' consistent improvement and growing frame, more offers are slated to come.
Currently, he is assumed to follow his father’s tracks to Arizona, where Gilbert Arenas led the program to the NCAA title game in 2001.