A highly regarded California guard has been on Duke basketball’s radar for several months.
In July, Chatsworth High School (Calif.) junior guard Alijah Arenas, the son of former Arizona basketball star and three-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, mentioned that Duke’s coaching staff was among those prioritizing him in his recruitment.
The 6-foot-5, 190-pound five-star prospect, known for his versatility and elite instincts as an athletic wing, is ranked No. 4 overall on the 247Sports 2026 Composite. While Arenas has yet to receive an offer from Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils, it appears Duke is still monitoring him closely as a potential target.
In October, Arenas told 247Sports’ Eric Bossi that he hopes to visit Durham in the spring. He also plans to take trips to Kansas, Kentucky, UCLA, USC, and Louisville, where his sister plays. “I’ll be taking visits in the spring,” Arenas said. “A lot of them.”
On Friday night, Alijah Arenas was in attendance at the McKale Memorial Center, where he watched the visiting Blue Devils secure a 69-55 victory over his father’s alma mater.
Eric Bossi offered this evaluation of Arenas as one of the standout talents in his class:
“Arenas is tremendously skilled and has a deep arsenal of scoring moves. He loves to set up jumpers via the dribble and has every step back, side step, and pull-up jumper that you can imagine in his bag. He’s not necessarily the most explosive guy with his first step, but he’s so clever with his changes of speed, hesitations, and ball handling that it’s still almost impossible to stay in front of him.”
Currently, the 2026 Duke basketball offer list features three five-star prospects: Paul VI Catholic (Va.) guard Jordan Smith Jr., St. John Bosco High School (Calif.) guard Brandon McCoy Jr., and Compass Prep (Ariz.) forward Miikka Muurinen.
