Kansas basketball: 5-star son of former NBA standout eyeing Jayhawks for college destination

While the Kansas basketball coaching staff is still searching for players to add to its 2024 recruiting class, Bill Self and his assistants stay active in every aspect of the recruiting trail. A player the Jayhawks have been connected to recently is 5-star wing, Tajh Ariza.

Ariza, the No. 13 player in the 2026 class according to ESPN, is starting to receive looks from some of the best schools in the country. Kansas offered him last week after one of his high school games. He attends St. Bernard in Playa Del Rey, California.

The 6-foot-6 sophomore caught up with On3 to talk about his game. “I’m a tall guard. I bring the ball up the court, I read the floor, and stretch the floor out with my shot," Ariza said. "Rebounding, blocking shots, playing defense."

"I’m playing a lot on the ball for my high school, and that helps me be able to read the floor from different spots," he continued. "The wing is my sweet spot, but it’s also good to get out of my comfort zone and learn different things. I watch a lot of Devin Booker and Jayson Tatum, and their mid-range games.”

Tajh is the son of Trevor Ariza, an 18-year veteran in the NBA. He scored 11,593 career points in the league and appeared in each of the Los Angeles Lakers 82 games when they won the NBA Finals in 2009. While Trevor attended UCLA for the 2003-04 season and the Bruins have been involved in his recruitment, he is not trying to convince his son to attend there just because of him.

“The decision is really his. It all depends on how they recruit him; they are not recruiting me. Whatever I did at that time was a completely different scenario and situation. The schools that are recruiting him, they have to do their job,” he told Sports Illustrated.

Although it is extremely early in the process, Kansas seems to be at the top of his list right now. He spoke more about what he likes about Bill Self and the Jayhawks.

“I’ve watched a couple of their games and what they do with their wings. They’ve developed a lot of wings and put them in the pros over the years.”