Will Alijah Arenas be redshirted? Exploring possible USC scenario for Gilbert Arenas' son following potential season ending injury

The USC Trojans got bad news on Wednesday as it was announced that Alijah Arenas suffered a knee injury that will require surgery. Arenas, who is the son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, will be forced to sit out six to eight months. As a result, Eric Musselman and the Trojans are forced to approach the coming season differently than they originally planned.

If the timeline for Arenas' return is accurate, that would likely mean he could return sometime between late January and the end of March. So, he could be available for the end of the season and a possible appearance in March Madness. However, it might not make sense for Arenas to waste a year of eligibility on what will likely only be a handful of games he could play.

Arenas has the option to redshirt this season if he wants to. He has not made an official decision, but it would be understandable if that is what he plans to do. By medically redshirting, he can sit out the entire season and retain four years of eligibility. That would also remove any risk of Arenas rushing back to play before he is fully recovered from his injury.

The biggest reason Alijah Arenas would not choose to redshirt would likely be if he is not planning to stay in college for four years. If he is planning to enter the NBA draft sooner rather than later, there is no reason for him to redshirt. He can play a few games at the end of the season to get experience before playing his first full season next year.

USC HC Eric Musselman shows his support for Alijah Arenas

While it is likely disappointing for Alijah Arenas to miss out on what could be his entire freshman season, he is not without support. On Wednesday, USC coach Eric Musselman tweeted out his support for and belief in Arenas.

"Alijah is a tremendous worker, teammate, competitor, and person. He is understandably disappointed that he will not be able to take the court to start the season, but his health is our No. 1 priority. We have no doubt that he will come back even stronger. We look forward to supporting him during this process."

Eric Musselman

@EricPMusselman

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Alijah is a tremendous worker, teammate, competitor, and person. He is understandably disappointed that he will not be able to take the court to start the season, but his health is our No. 1 priority. We have no doubt that he will come back even stronger. We look forward to supporting him during this process.

Alijah Arenas is the No. 10-ranked player in the nation, according to 247Sports. As a result, it would not be surprising if he does not plan to play all four seasons of his college eligibility.