Kentucky basketball has offered the five-star son of an NBA Champion with the Lakers

Mark Pope is getting going recruiting the 2026 class.

Mar 1, 2022; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; The Kentucky Wildcat mascot claps during the second half against the Mississippi Rebels at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Mark Pope isn't done recruiting the 2025 class, but he is starting to send out offers to elite players in the 2026 class. One of the players' Coach Pope has recently offered is five-star small forward Tajh Ariza. The 6'8 small forward is ranked as the number sixth best player in the 2026 class according to 247Sports composite rankings.

Ariza is the song of Trevor Ariza, who won an NBA Championship in 2009 with the Los Angeles Lakers, playing alongside Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. He put up solid numbers for the Lakers during the regular season and in the playoffs, leading to the Championship for the Lakers.

Now, his son is a five-star in the 2026 class, trying to decide where he wants to play his college hoops. One of the first teams to offer Ariza was his dad's alma mater, UCLA, so this will definitely be one of the schools Kentucky has to watch out for on the recruiting trail. On top of Kentucky and UCLA, Ariza has offers from some big-name schools like Kansas and Arkansas. It will be a dog fight to land one of the best recruits in the 2026 class.

When it comes to Ariza's skill on the floor he will be known as a slasher and has an elite handle helping him get to the rim. On top of this Ariza is able to shoot the three ball as well. This is a name to remember as Kentucky starts to recruit the 2026 class harder.