Before he became a three-time NBA All-Star during his 11-year career, Gilbert Arenas was the standout scorer and star guard for the 2000-01 Arizona team that fell to Duke in the 2001 national championship game. Arenas has frequently criticized Duke’s legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski and the program over the years.
Jon Scheyer, Krzyzewski’s successor at Duke, reminded the media before last season’s game against Arizona that Arizona was one of his top three choices when he was a high school recruit nearly 20 years ago. It’s worth noting that Scheyer was still a young fan at the 2001 Final Four when Duke defeated Arenas.
We caught up with top-5 ‘26 Alijah Arenas last week at @3SSBCircuit in Rock Hill, SC, and talked about growing mentally and physically after missing time due to injury, the latest with his recruitment, the @Compton_Magic program, and more (sound 🔊 on). pic.twitter.com/7v1i6LYGb2
— Pro Insight (@_proinsight) July 18, 2024
Similarly, Alijah Arenas, a rising junior from Chatsworth High School in California, is not the same player as his father, Gilbert, and was born six years after that 2001 game. Now ranked No. 4 overall in the 247Sports 2026 Composite, the 6-foot-5, 190-pound five-star guard recently confirmed his recruitment status to Pro Insight, listing schools like Kansas, Duke, UCLA, and Arizona as top contenders.
Interestingly, Duke is the only one of those schools not currently on his 17-offer list according to 247Sports. Rivals recruiting analyst Jason Jordan highlighted Arenas’ impressive performance against other top prospects, noting his smooth game, strong offensive instincts, and the influence of his NBA father.
Although no 2026 recruits have received a Duke offer yet, Alijah Arenas seems to be on the Blue Devils’ radar.
