St. John Bosco (Calif.) will have one of the top high school basketball prospects in the nation on its roster next season. According to multiple reports, first by Frank Burlison, five-star small forward Tajh Ariza, the son of former NBA veteran Trevor Ariza, has transferred from Westchester Senior to SJB and is already enrolled in classes.
The 6-foot-8, 180-pounder just led Westchester, his father’s alma mater, to a 24-win season and a Los Angeles City Section title. Previously, Ariza played for St. Bernard in Playa Del Ray. He will be getting some good NIL money, and he already has plans on how he hopes to spend his first NIL check.
Tajh Ariza Reveals How He Plans On Spending His First NIL Check
Ariza has an NIL value of roughly 578K, according to On3 Sports. So, it’s safe to say Ariza will be seeing some good money coming in right off the bat. When asked about what he plans to do with it, Ariza already has some thoughts on his mind.
“I’m probably going to save it, maybe give a little to my mom,” Ariza tells The Field of 68’s Ari Umana. “It depends on how much it is, though. Put a little bit to the side to spend, give some back to my mom and people at home, and just save the rest.”
The addition of Ariza creates a true three-headed monster for the Braves next season. The elite forward is set to join forces with Five-Star Plus+ combo guard Brandon McCoy and Five-Star Plus+ SF Christian Collins, the No. 2 and 3 overall prospects in the 2026 cycle, respectively. Ariza and Collins previously played together at St. Bernard.
Bosco was dominant once again last season, finishing as the nation’s No. 26 overall team and No. 6 team in California, according to the On3 Composite Rankings. The Braves will be a national favorite heading into the 2025-26 campaign.
Ariza ranks No. 8 overall, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He already owns college offers from the likes of USC, UCLA, Kansas, Arkansas, Kentucky and Florida. Ariza is a UCLA legacy.
When previously speaking with On3, Ariza discussed what he’s looking for in his home at the next level:
“Really, I’m looking for a welcoming environment. I’m also looking for coaches that are going to hold me accountable and develop me, because I’m not trying to stay in college for more than a year. I’m trying to get in and get out. So I want to play for someone who has the same vision as me. I want to win and I want to develop, so I want to play for a coach that is going to push me.
“I’m comfortable playing in a pro-style-type offense. I like to space the floor, run some sets, get out and run, and be around people who just know how to play ball.”
“I’m a versatile, all-around player,” he added. “I crash the boards, space the floor, read the floor, pass, and play defense. I got a lot stronger in the off-season. So I’ve been working on my body and I’m playing with that new strength and my skill set.”
Ariza already shared that he has an NIL deal signed with Marathon, which was first signed back in November of 2024.
“I have a partnership with Marathon; that’s like an LA-based brand, so it’s pretty big for me, considering I grew up in LA,” Tajh shared.
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“But it was really, for me, mostly for my teammates, like, So you know, we can really wake the city back up, and you know, just for my teammates so we could raise, you know, do a couple things, raise money, you know, just have fun.” He added.
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