Tony Bland Could Help Bill Self and Kansas Land Top 2026 Recruit

The Kansas Jayhawks officially brought on Washington assistant Tony Bland to the coaching staff on Tuesday. He replaced Chase Buford, who left for a spot as an assistant with the Denver Nuggets.

Bland brings extensive experience on the West Coast as a recruiter and coach, as he has spent time at San Diego State and USC on the coaching staff.

And if you connect the dots between a recent recruiting event that happened hours after the news was revealed, Bland's impact may have already been felt in Lawrence.

Class of 2026 small forward prospect and consensus 5-star recruit Tajh Ariza scheduled an official visit to Kansas starting Sept. 26, in addition to his trips earlier that month to Oregon, North Carolina, USC, and eventually Texas.

247 Sports rates him the No. 9 player in the country and the No. 3 small forward among the nation's rising seniors.

What is intriguing about the timing of the news is that Bland actually coached Ariza at St. Bernard High School in Los Angeles, California, for his freshman and sophomore years before he subsequently transferred.

That same offseason, Bland left St. Bernard to join Danny Sprinkle's staff at UW as an assistant, where he spent one year before officially making the move to Kansas yesterday.

KU and Ariza had been connected somewhat in the past, receiving an offer from the program all the way back in December 2023. However, it does not appear to be a coincidence that the star prospect expressed new interest in the Jayhawks the same day that his former coach was hired onto the staff.

Landing a player of Ariza's caliber would immediately make the addition of Bland worth it, as he is one of the best players in his class.

His father, Trevor Ariza, played 18 years in the NBA and was a longtime veteran in the pros — but some scouts believe that Tajh could turn out to be even better than his father.

The 6-foot-9, 195-pound forward is a two-way wing with exceptional length and physical tools. He is an all-around player and incredibly athletic for his size, with a skill set that translates well to the modern game.

Ariza now joins other top players set to visit Lawrence over the next few months, including Taylen Kinney later this week and Toni Bryant in early November.

If Bland and Ariza still share a strong bond from a few years ago, the Jayhawks could very well emerge as a frontrunner in his recruitment.