In the L.A. city championships last February Tajh Ariza took over. He put up 20 points and 10 rebounds in the semifinal against Cleveland High and in the final he took on Alijah Arenas, the son of NBA legend Gilbert Arenas, outdueling him with 19 and 8.
Yesterday Ariza, a five-star and a standout at the Nike Hoop Summit, committed to the Oregon Ducks after a visit on September 6.
Ariza has skills, and style. He can float to the basketball and throw it down. He'll swipe the basketball off the glass at the defensive end, dribble the length of the floor and find a teammate cutting to the hoop, smooth, fluid and powerful, possessing uncommon court sense and guile, what you'd expect from the son of an 18-year NBA veteran, which he is.
His father Trevor Ariza started on the Los Angeles Lakers championship squad in 2009, hitting 50 percent from 3-point range in the playoffs.
Ariza is a tremendous fit for the Altman style with his open-court savvy and skills at both ends of the floor. He's a Top 15 national recruit in the 2026 class pursued by Kentucky and Duke, a future NBA wing.
Announcing his decision, he told college basketball analyst Paul Biancadi, “Coach Altman is a basketball guy, but he really connected with me and my family,”
He's Oregon's first Top 25 prospect since 2023, choosing the Ducks over USC, His commitment signals that the program remains a factor in Big Ten hoops, competing in the way the football team has.
Scouting Tajh Ariza:
— Adam Finkelstein (@AdamFinkelstein) October 3, 2025
▪️Late-blooming jumbo wing - 6’9 now
▪️Long & athletic; explosive in transition
▪️Fluid mover + court coverage
▪️Projectable 3pt shooter
▪️Glaring defensive tools
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