Arizona Wildcats Basketball Legend ‘Smiles’ As Program Recruits Son
The idea of legacy in college and professional sports is nothing new. Many fathers would love to see their sons and daughters follow in their footsteps.
Arizona Wildcats men’s basketball legend Gilbert Arenas already has one kid playing college basketball. His daughter, Izela, was a Top 100 prospect coming out of high school and is playing at Louisville. Naturally, she’s wearing her father’s number, zero.
His son, Alijah, is still working his way through the prep ranks. He’s part of the Class of 2026 but he’s already considered a five-star recruit. Per 247Sports.com, Alijah is the No. 5 recruit in the class. As one might expect, he’s drawing a significant level of interest.
That includes Arizona, as Arenas told the Tucson Star’s Justin Spears, who hosted a podcast with Arenas as part of his radio show, Spears and Ali.
He knows what some might say about his son’s courtship with high-major programs. He acknowledges that his name could get his son in the door.
But that’s only the last name, Arenas said.
“Your last name gives you an advantage, but your first name is what everybody's gonna judge you on,” he said.
Alijah plays his prep ball at Chatsworth High School in Chatsworth, Calif. He’s a shooting guard and he received an offer from the Wildcats in June, per 247Sports.
Father and son talk a lot. He’s not herding him in a particular, direction, he said. He would be proud if his son ends up at Arizona. But, his daughter ended up at a Top 25 program in Louisville and looks intent on building her own name.
And the name only gets you so far, he said.
“The fact that my son is even in this type of atmosphere to be recruited says a lot right?” he said. “It says a lot about his training because, you know, if he wasn't that good Arizona wouldn't just be coming after him because of his who his father is right? They're looking at his talent and his upside.”
Still, Alijah and Izela received plenty of talent from their father.
Arenas played just two years for the Wildcats. But, in that time, he was an all-Pac-10 freshman in 2000 and all Pac-10 first-team in 2001 before he declared for the NBA Draft. In his sophomore season the Wildcats reached the national championship game.
Arenas was drafted in the second round of the 2001 NBA Draft and eventually grew into a star with Washington, where he spent the bulk of his career. He also played for Orlando and Memphis. He was a three-time NBA All-Star, a three-time second- or third-team All-NBA selection and the NBA’s most improved player in 2003.
