Tajh Ariza, a top-10 men’s basketball recruit in the class of 2026 by 247Sports, will make an official recruiting visit to KU on Sept. 26-28, it was revealed Tuesday by Rivals and 247Sports. He played for new Kansas assistant coach Tony Bland his first two years of high school.
Ariza, a 6-foot-9, 195-pound senior small forward from St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, California, played for Bland his freshman and sophomore high school seasons at St. Bernard High in Los Angeles.
He played his junior year at Westchester High in L.A. and now is enrolled at St. John Bosco for his final high school campaign.
He is the son of former NBA player Trevor Ariza, who played college ball at UCLA for one season before being selected in Round 2 of the 2004 NBA Draft. Trevor played in the league 18 seasons and was a member of the 2009 NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers team.
Ariza, who is ranked No. 9 in the class of 2026 by 247Sports, No. 14 by Rivals and No. 24 by ESPN, will also make official recruiting trips to Oregon (Sept. 6), North Carolina (Sept. 12), USC (Sept. 20) and Texas at a yet-to-be-determined date. USC is considered the leader.
He’s also heard from coaches from Kansas State, Kentucky, UCLA, Arizona State, Arkansas, UNLV and others.
“He’s incredibly smooth and skilled. I think obviously he’s been known as a good scorer throughout his career. I was surprised, as I’ve gotten to know him, how good of a passer he is also,” St. John Bosco coach Matt Dunn told Inside Carolina.
As a junior at Westchester High in L.A., Ariza averaged 27.0 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. He played in just six games for Team Why Not on the EYBL circuit this summer because of injury.
“In the past, he was clearly the best player on this (high school) team and there was a lot of separation in terms of ability and talent,” Dunn said. “He was willing to take on double teams and be the guy, because he had to. As I’ve gotten to know him, seen him play with other players his caliber, he can blend in if that’s what’s best for the team. To me, that’s one of the most important characteristics of talented guys — a willingness to not always be front and center.”
Even at 6-9, “we plan on him having the ball in his hands,” Dunn added to Inside Carolina. “It’s more than just passing. It’s his understanding of spacing and ability to read a defense. There’s willing passers and really good passers. He has a great understanding of what the defense is trying to accomplish and then taking it away through advanced reads. He’ll have the ball in his hands quite a bit, but he’s just as capable off-ball too.”
Dunn also praised his ability “to guard multiple positions” at his size, adding Ariza’s ability to play on the ball and be a playmaker will “follow him to college”
Ariza wishes to be a college one-and-done player.
“I’m looking for a school where they know my plan. My plan is to go one-and-done, so a program that is going to let me play through mistakes, but also hold me accountable. I want to go where I trust the coach, and the school has a plan for me, but will also pick me up and encourage me, like a family setting. And also a pro-style offense with a lot of space and the ability to make decisions,” Ariza told On3.com.
It is possible that Ariza’s sudden interest in KU, ostensibly because of Bland’s presence on the KU staff, could help the Jayhawks in the recruitment of St. John Bosco senior Christian Collins, a 6-8, 200-pound forward ranked No. 4 nationally by ESPN and 247Sports and No. 12 by Rivals. USC is currently the heavy favorite. Collins has also heard from Kentucky, UCLA, Arkansas, Baylor, Texas, Cal, Duke, Michigan, Louisville, Houston, Arizona and others.
His dad, DeAngelo Collins, and aunt, Alexis Kendrick, were McDonald’s All-Americans in 2002. DeAngelo did not attend college. He had a pro career in the NBA G League as well as Europe. Kendrick played college basketball at Georgia.
“Collins is one of the more talented long-term prospects in the national class. At 6-8, he’s long (7-foot-plus wingspan), mobile, and a very fluid mover. He covers the court extremely well, has an elastic body type, and is a good vertical athlete who can jump off either one or two feet, and then has a quick second bounce,” wrote Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports.
“The bottom line is that Collins’ upside is undeniable with a terrific overlap of length, athleticism, fluidity, progressing skill, and two-way versatility. He’s a long way from a finished product though and has to build up his body, develop his offensive game, and most of all, embrace the constant high-energy style that can maximize his impact defensively, on the glass, and in his total floor game,” Finkelstein added.
Collins told Zagsblog.com: “I don’t have to score 30 points a game to help us win. Rebounding, assists, passing the ball, making the open play, driving it and kicking it, taking charges, blocking shots and stuff like that help win games.
“I just want to impact the game as much as possible and show I’m very coachable,” Collins added. “Whatever they need me to do, I’ll do.”