You’ve probably seen the highlights. A 6-foot-6 guard weaving through defenders with a handle that looks a little too much like "Agent Zero" for comfort. That’s Alijah Arenas, the five-star recruit who has spent the last year essentially breaking the space-time continuum of high school basketball.
But if you’re looking for the Alijah Arenas date of birth, it’s not just a trivia point. It’s the key to understanding why he’s already at USC while most kids his age are still worrying about prom or high school chemistry finals.
Alijah Arenas was born on March 16, 2007.
That date is everything. It makes him 18 years old right now, but the path he took to get here was anything but standard. Usually, a kid born in early 2007 would be finishing up his senior year of high school in 2025. Alijah, however, decided he was done waiting.
The Reclassification That Shook the Rankings
Late in 2024, Alijah and his father, former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, dropped a bombshell on the basketball world. They announced that Alijah would be reclassifying from the class of 2026 to the class of 2025.
Basically, he skipped a grade.
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But it wasn't just a paperwork move. Because of his Alijah Arenas date of birth—falling right in that mid-March sweet spot—he was physically and mentally ready for the jump. He didn't just move up; he thrived. He went from being a top-5 recruit in 2026 to being a top-10 recruit in 2025. That’s hard to do. Usually, when you jump up a year, you lose your "seniority" advantage. Alijah didn't care.
He ended his high school career at Chatsworth with 3,002 points.
3,000!
That’s 14th all-time in California history. He did that in essentially three years of "real" high school competition.
Life-Changing Moments Since March 16, 2007
Since he hit that 18th birthday in 2025, life hasn't exactly been a quiet ride for the young Trojan. Honestly, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster that would make most people’s heads spin.
In April 2025, shortly after turning 18, Alijah was involved in a scary car accident. He was driving a Tesla Cybertruck that crashed and caught fire. It was serious—he was actually placed in a medically induced coma for a short period. People were terrified. But, in true Arenas fashion, he bounced back without any broken bones, showing a level of resilience that mirrors his playstyle on the court.
Then came the knee injury.
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Just as he was getting ready to dominate at USC, he suffered a torn meniscus in July 2025. For a kid whose Alijah Arenas date of birth says he should technically still be a high school senior right now, sitting on the sidelines at a major D1 program was a massive mental test.
Why the Date of Birth Matters for the NBA Draft
If you’re a scout, you’re looking at that March 2007 birthday and salivating. Why? Because the NBA has very specific rules about age and draft eligibility.
- The 19-Year-Old Rule: Players must be at least 19 during the calendar year of the draft.
- The One-Year Removed Rule: Players must be at least one year removed from high school graduation.
By reclassifying and graduating in 2025, Alijah effectively started his "one-year removed" clock early. Because he turns 19 in March 2026, he is technically eligible for the 2026 NBA Draft.
Think about that.
While other kids born in 2007 are just starting their freshman year of college, Alijah could be walking across the stage to shake Adam Silver's hand. That's the power of knowing your timeline and having a dad who knows the league's CBA inside and out.
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What’s Next for Alijah at USC?
As of January 2026, the wait is almost over. Coach Eric Musselman—who, fun fact, actually coached Gilbert Arenas back in the day with the Golden State Warriors—has been easing Alijah back into practice.
The plan is simple: get him healthy and let him loose in the Big Ten.
He’s a 6-foot-6 "unicorn" of a guard. He’s got his mom Laura Govan's height and his dad’s "limitless range" DNA. But more than that, he has the maturity of someone who has already faced a lifetime of pressure before his 19th birthday.
What you can do next: If you're following his journey, keep a close eye on the USC injury reports for late January. With the Big Ten schedule heating up, Alijah is expected to make his collegiate debut any day now. Watching how a kid born in 2007 handles the physicality of grown-man college basketball will tell us everything we need to know about his NBA future.