Duke basketball recruiting prospect Tajh Ariza Katie Goodale / USA TODAY NETWORK

Son of Former NBA Champ Draws Duke Basketball Recruiting Interest

Originally posted on Duke Blue Devils on SI
By Matt Giles | Last updated Sep 18, 2024 8:22 AM ET

Westchester Senior (Calif.) junior sensation Tajh Ariza is the son of Trevor Ariza, a 2003-04 UCLA basketball one-and-done forward, former 18-year NBA journeyman, and 2009 champion with the Los Angeles Lakers. And within the first week of the start to the open recruiting period earlier this month, the 6-foot-8, 180-pound five-star saw Duke basketball attention at his school.

According to On3's Jamie Shaw, Kentucky and Arkansas were among the other big-name recruiters on the scene to check out Tajh Ariza, who jumped one spot on the 247Sports 2026 Composite earlier this week to crack the top five for the first time.

He ranked No. 15 in early June. So, there's no doubt Ariza's stock is soaring, now well within reach of No. 1 overall.

"He plays a minimalistic game, if that makes sense," Shaw recently explained to Kentucky Sports Radio's Jacob Polacheck on the Here Comes the Boom podcast. "He's got great length. The shooting is coming around, and that's gonna kinda be the X factor as to how high he can go in the class...He's a good athlete. He's very young for his class, which is interesting to watch as he continues to fill out, already having the positional size."

Tajh Ariza, son of Trevor Ariza, is On3’s No. 8 overall in the 2026 On3 150

Programs like Kentucky, Arkansas, & Duke were by to watch the 1st week of the open period.

The Full Conversation: https://t.co/n4vc69yb3r pic.twitter.com/7z3frhdNuR
— Jamie Shaw (@JamieShaw5) September 14, 2024

Ariza's offer sheet consists of eight early suitors, per 247Sports, a list that already includes Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA, and Arkansas.

Meanwhile, third-year Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer has extended early offers to three 2026 talents: Paul VI Catholic High School (Va.) five-star guard Jordan Smith Jr., St. John Bosco High School (Calif.) five-star guard Brandon McCoy Jr., and Compass Prep (Ariz.) five-star forward Miikka Muurinen.

All three of those full-fledged Blue Devil targets rank among the top dozen in the cycle.

This article first appeared on Duke Blue Devils on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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