4-Star SF Tajh Ariza, son of Trevor Ariza, is seeing his recruitment start to pick up
Tajh Ariza is the No. 11 overall player in the 2026 On3 Industry Ranking. The 6-foot-7 wing started his high school season off with a 30-point outburst last week for Playa del Ray (CA) St. Bernard’s.
“Right now, I just try to play on both sides of the ball,” Ariza told On3. “Get rebounds, block shots, shoot open shots, and I can also play off the bounce. I’ve improved a lot over the summer. I’m handing the ball under pressure and learning how to use my body. I’ve been in the weight room, so I’ve been getting stronger. Really, I was training like every day, just working on my craft.”
This summer, Ariza averaged 10.3 points and 4.6 rebounds for the Team WhyNot program on Nike’s EYBL E15 Circuit. He was then invited to the USA Basketball Junior National Team Minicamp in October.
“I went there, just doing what my coach asked of me,” Ariza said. “Like, my coach needed me to play defense. He said they already knew I could score, so he wanted me to really lock down on defense, and get rebounds. Really, just do everything that nobody else was doing. I felt like it went well for me.”
On3 caught up with Tajh Ariza after a recent live viewing to talk about the beginning stages of his recruitment.
His Recruiting Process
Currently, Tajh Ariza is only a sophomore who claims offers from USC, UCLA, Washington, Kansas, and a couple of others. Per NCAA rules, he is not able to be contacted directly by college coaches until June of 2024, and cannot start taking official visits until August of 2024.
“Man, this is just beginning for me, for real,” Ariza said. “So I don’t know yet what I’m looking for. I know, I want to go to a school that will let me rock. Go to a place where I fit in, where I stand out but also I’m around other good players. I know everyone is good in college, but the development side will matter to me.
“I want to play where everyone on the court can play the one through five. A system where they have a lot of big guards.”
Tajh Ariza Talks Dad
Tajh Ariza’s dad is former NBA Champion Trevor Ariza. Trevor Ariza played for 18 years and averaged 10.4 points over 1,118 games played. Ariza graduated high school from Los Angeles (CA) Westchester High, where he was a five-star recruit in 2003, and played one year at UCLA before being drafted in the second round, 43rd overall, in the 2004 NBA Draft
“My dad helps me a lot,” Ariza said. “Sometimes he can get on my nerves because he is always in my ear. But I mean everything he says helps. He has been helping me a lot.”
Ariza Talks UCLA
“I don’t really have much of a relationship with them yet,” Ariza said. “It’s mostly through my dad. So, I mean, I met the coach and they offered me, but other than that I can’t really talk to them.
“I know they’re a good program, and they like to play fast. They have bigger guards and they play hard on both sides of the ball. They recruit taller guards and people who can play.
“I’ve always been a UCLA fan because of my dad, but, now, I’m older, and going through the whole process myself. It’s completely different.”