In the L.A. city championships last February Tajh Ariza took over. He put up 20 points and 10 rebounds in the semifinal against Cleveland High and in the final he took on Alijah Arenas, the son of NBA legend Gilbert Arenas, outdueling him with 19 and 8.
Yesterday Ariza, a five-star and a standout at the Nike Hoop Summit, committed to the Oregon Ducks after a visit on September 6.
Ariza has skills, and style. He can float to the basketball and throw it down. He'll swipe the basketball off the glass at the defensive end, dribble the length of the floor and find a teammate cutting to the hoop, smooth, fluid and powerful, possessing uncommon court sense and guile, what you'd expect from the son of an 18-year NBA veteran, which he is.