USC and UCLA Garner Men’s Basketball Weekly Laurels

Player of the Week
Alijah Arenas, USC

So. – G – 6-6 – Woodland Hills, Calif. – Chatsworth

Averaged 25.5 points on 56.3 percent shooting with 6.0 rebounds in a pair of USC victories

Paired 21 points and eight rebounds in the Trojan’s 95-63 win over Milwaukee to open the season

Set a career high with 30 points in leading USC to a 93-86 win over Wichita State

Earns first career Player of the Week honor

Freshman of the Week
Nikola Kusturica, UCLA

G/F – 6-9 – Novi Sad, Serbia – Leo XIII School (Spain)

Averaged 19.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.5 blocks, while shooting 13-23 from the field in his first two collegiate games

Posted 10 points, five rebounds, and three blocks in UCLA’s season-opening 84-75 win over No. 5 Arizona

Scored 26 of his 29 points in the first half of a 114-63 win over North Florida

Garners his first Freshman of the Week honor

2026-27 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Players of the Week
Nov. 9

P: Alijah Arenas, USC

F: Nikola Kusturica, UCLA

The Big Ten Conference is an association of world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching and public service. Founded in 1896, the Big Ten has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in the lives of students competing in intercollegiate athletics and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness and competitiveness. The Big Ten Conference sponsors 28 official sports, 14 for men and 14 for women, and the broad-based programs of the 18 Big Ten institutions provide direct financial support for more than 14,000 student-athletes. For more information, visit www.bigten.org.