Ace Bailey, Justin Pippen, Meleek Thomas pray for Gilbert Arenas’ son Alijah Arenas after shocking accident

Rutgers guard/forward Ace Bailey, incoming California guard Justin Pippen and Arkansas commit Meleek Thomas sent their prayers to fellow player Alijah Arenas, who was involved in a serious car accident in the Reseda area of the San Fernando Valley.

Bailey, Pippen and Thomas sent their prayers on social media and were captured by NCAA Noobita on X. Bailey posted a caption that read:

"Praying for u lil bro !!"

While Pippen, the son of NBA great Scottie Pippen, posted two praying hands, Thomas, a five-star recruit in the Class of 2025, posted five praying hands for the immediate recovery of his fellow incoming freshman.

The 18-year-old son of NBA veteran Gilbert Arenas was driving a Tesla Cybertruck that left the road and smashed into a tree or a fire hydrant. The car was on fire following the crash and Arenas was placed in an induced coma to support his breathing and allow better ventilation while recovering.

Bailey recently announced he's entering the 2025 NBA draft after a season at Rutgers, while Pippen committed to California after one season with Michigan. Thomas played for the City Reapers in Overtime Elite and averaged 26.8 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game.

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Alijah Arenas breaks single-game scoring record at California tournament

Alijah Arenas has proven to be a blue-chip prospect before committing to USC in January. One of the games that made the experts talk about him was his scoring surge in The Classic at Damien, where the Chatsworth star set the single-game tournament scoring record.

Arenas dropped a tournament-record 56 points for the Chancellors in a loss to Prescott (Arizona) in overtime. That broke the standard set by 2026 five-star recruit Jason Crowe Jr, who scored 55 a day earlier.

The guard was engaged in a shootout with Prescott senior Uriah Tenette, who held his own and finished with 54 points. Arenas showed his scoring repertoire, firing at all three levels, which included multiple 3-pointers and mid-range jumpers.

Alijah Arenas was also the first high school boys player in the LA area to reach 3,000 career points. On3 Director of Rankings Jamie Shaw described the five-star recruit as a player who continues to develop his scoring acumen while continuing to step up in level.

Shaw added that his length and playmaking skills would be useful in his collegiate stint with the Trojans and possibly in the NBA.