Bill Self, Kansas In The Running For Son Of NBA Champion For 2026

Kansas has its eyes on Tajh Ariza, a rising scorer in the 2026 class and the son of ex-NBA champion Trevor Ariza.

The Jayhawks offered the five-star wing in December 2023, but his recruitment became priority upon the recent hiring of assistant coach Tony bland in August.  Bland previously coached Ariza at St. Bernard High School, where the two spent two seasons together before Ariza transferred and Bland left for Washington.

Now at St. John Bosco High School, Ariza is among the most versatile prospects in the 2026 class. At nearly 6-foot-10 he can score from anywhere on the floor and shows polished fundamentals, no doubt influenced by his father.

The five-star wing is scheduled to take an official visit to Lawrence later this month. Ariza cancelled his scheduled trip to North Carolina this weekend, hosted in-home visits with Kentucky and Texas, and recently completed visits to Oregon and USC. 

Beating out programs like USC and Oregon won’t be easy for Kansas being that he is a west coast native. With no 2026 commitments on the board, the Jayhawks may have to throw everything at securing a talent like Ariza.

Kansas Gets Cut From Top 2026 Point Guard's Final Schools

Kansas has missed out on one the most sought-after recruits in the 2026 class.

Five-Star point guard Deron Rippey Jr. announced on Thursday he's cutting the Jayhawks as a potential landing spot. He is now down to 10 schools including Louisville, North Carolina, Miami, Syracuse, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennesse, Duke, North Carolina State, and Texas.

The junior is the No. 1 point guard and No 13-prospect overall in the 2026 class. Rippey was named the 2025 Gatorade New Jersey Boys Basketball Player of the Year after averaging 16.2 points, 5.3 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.2 steals leading Blair Academy to the Prep Open State Tournament championship.

Some believe Rippey canceled his visit to Kansas due to fellow five-star point guard Taylen Kinney being rumored as the co-favorite to land in Lawrence after his recent visit to KU in August. This past season, Kinney averaged 20.1 points, 5.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.3 steals with Overtime Elite. Kentucky also conducted an in-home visit to Rippey's house on Wednesday. He announced cutting the Jayhawks following the visit. 

Kansas has yet to land a commitment in its 2026 recruiting class. All eyes now turn to Kinney to see if he’ll be the first to get the ball rolling for the Jayhawks.