'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC/9oADAMBAAIQAxAAAACK0L//xAAgEAACAQQBBQAAAAAAAAAAAAABAwIABAUSBhMUQoHS/9oACAEBAAE/AMpnWcexfUeFsuI267hsAZaiMgJa+qfyFK3Mh2V2dZEeH3X/xAAWEQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAL/2gAIAQIBAT8Acl//xAAVEQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAP/aAAgBAwEBPwAb/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Tajh Ariza, the son of former NBA star Trevor Ariza, added another accolade to his collection after being named LA City Player of the Year on Wednesday. The 6-foot-7 forward, currently ranked No. 14 in the class of 2026, just concluded his junior year of high school basketball, averaging north of 27 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists per game.
Trending
Tajh’s performances this season have also earned him Sports Illustrated All-CIF SoCal first-team honors, CIF LA City Co-Player of the Year and a spot on the Los Angeles Times 2024-25 All-Star boys’ basketball team. He was also named to the 2025 Nike Hoop Summit roster, which was released on March 11.
Having wrapped up the high school season with a 24-10 record and a first-place finish in the California Interscholastic Federation Los Angeles City Section Western Basketball League, Tajh will now turn his attention to the Nike Hoop Summit, scheduled for April 12.
The Nike Hoop Summit is an annual game that brings together the best under-19 basketball prospects worldwide. The all-star game traditionally features a Team USA vs. Team World format.
Tajh will represent Japan with Team World alongside highly rated prospects Kiyan Anthony (Puerto Rico) and Tounde Yessoufou (Benin), among others. Each team consists of 12 players, with five-star prospects Darius Acuff, Nate Ament, Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, Cayden Boozer and Mikel Brown representing Team USA.
Where will Tajh Ariza play college basketball?
Tajh Ariza still has one more year of high school basketball, but his recruitment process is heating up. The five-star prospect currently holds 14 college offers from programs such as USC, UCLA, Kansas, Oregon, Kentucky and Washington.
According to On3, USC is the clear favorite to land Tajh, with a 56.4% chance. UCLA follows at 4.5%.
Interestingly, Tajh’s father, Trevor Ariza, played college basketball at UCLA. However, it remains to be seen whether that will influence his decision.
