Five-star wing Tajh Ariza will decide between Oregon and USC on Friday at 5:45 PM ET on CBS Sports HQ. Ariza, the No. 14-ranked player in the Class of 2026, is brimming with two-way upside and has the tools to be one of the better defensive prospects in the entire class.
“Both USC and Oregon have been real with me from the start,” Ariza told 247Sports Director of Basketball Eric Bossi. “They’ve shown they believe in me no matter what, and in this NIL era, that’s everything — you want a staff that sees your role and impact from day one. Even though the programs are built differently, both believe I can come in right away and make a difference.”
The announcement will also be streamed on the CBS College Basketball YouTube channel and the CBS Sports App.
Ariza, who owns an eye-popping 7-foot wingspan, has long been on the radar for college basketball coaches and grassroots evaluators. Ariza earned five-star status back in January of 2024. Twenty-one months later, he’s ready to commit.
Both USC and Oregon have plenty to offer. Trojans’ coach Eric Musselman has helped usher 11 players into the NBA since 2019. Musselman has long craved two-way wings with positional size, dating back to Cody and Caleb Martin at Nevada, Moses Moody at Arkansas and now Chad Baker-Mazara and 2025 five-star Alijah Arenas at USC.
Meanwhile, Dana Altman has built a consistent winner at Oregon. The Ducks have been an NCAA Tournament-caliber squad in 10 of the last 13 years, and numerous five-star talents have flocked to Eugene.
Ariza, whose dad, Trevor, was an 18-year NBA veteran, would be one of the top six prospects to ever pick USC or Oregon in the modern era.
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