LOS ANGELES — Alijah Arenas has practiced for the first time with Southern California’s basketball team as he continues recovering from a knee injury he suffered last summer.

“It feels great to be back,” Arenas said. “I’ve been longing for it. I’m not getting off the court now.”

The freshman guard has been meeting with the coaching staff daily to learn USC’s plays and discuss strategy while rehabbing. The knee injury, diagnosed in July, required surgery.

“It was great to have him back with the rest of the guys,” coach Eric Musselman said Friday. “He’s got such a great basketball IQ and brings a tremendous amount of energy. It looked like he had been a part of practice for quite some time.”

Arenas is aiming to make his collegiate debut in mid-January.

The son of former NBA player Gilbert Arenas was involved in a car crash that led to him being placed in an induced coma in April. He spent six days in the hospital following the single-car crash in which Arenas hit a tree but didn’t suffer major injuries.

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye made his case for the NFL MVP award on Sunday as he threw five touchdown passes in the team’s demolition of the New York Jets.

Four of Maye’s five touchdown passes came in the first half.

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He found tight end Austin Hooper on a 2-yard touchdown pass to start the game. Then, he lit it up in the second quarter. He connected with Rhamondre Stevenson, Stefon Diggs and Hunter Henry for touchdown grabs as the Patriots took a 35-3 lead into the locker room at the half.

Before he was taken out of the game, Maye found Efton Chism III for a 10-yard touchdown grab.

Maye finished the game with a perfect passer rating (157.0). He was 19-of-21 with 256 passing yards and was only sacked once. Joshua Dobbs subbed in for Maye before the game was over.

NFL LEGEND MAKES BOLD TRAVIS KELCE PREDICTION AS CHIEFS STAR MULLS FUTURE

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) is run out of bounds by New York Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood (44) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin)

Patriots won the game, 42-10.

Maye became the first Patriots quarterback to throw five touchdown passes since Tom Brady did it in 2017. Brady did it in a win against the Houston Texans on Sept. 24, 2017. Brady had 378 passing yards in that game.

Unlike Brady, Maye isn’t putting up 300-plus yards through the air regularly. He only had one this season despite being a contender for the MVP. He did it for the first time last week against the Baltimore Ravens. He was 31-of-44 for 380 yards and two touchdowns in the 28-24 win.

The Patriots moved to 13-3 on the season with the convincing win over the Jets. It’s the first time they’ve reached at least 13 wins in a single season since the 2016 season. Brady led the Patriots to a Super Bowl victory that year.

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New England will wrap up the season at home against the Miami Dolphins next week.

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