""They are going to prepare me for the next level," Ariza told ESPN of Oregon. "Coach [Dana] Altman told me that they have minutes for me and need me to play as a freshman but told me I must earn those minutes. 'We must see your work.' I have to earn it." He took official visits to each of his finalists earlier this fall, but Altman and Oregon were able to beat out USC in recent days."
""Coach Altman is a basketball guy, but he really connected with me and my family. He sees me not only as a basketball player but as a person. He is a straightforward guy." "I was shooting in the gym with the Oregon uniform on and Coach Altman was there," he continued. "He corrected my shot, and then I made almost 30 threes in a row. I got the chills making all those shots and that's when I felt he was the coach for me.""
Tajh Ariza, a 6-foot-9 small forward ranked No. 24 in the SC Next 100, committed to Oregon over USC. Altman told Ariza the program will prepare him for the next level but that he must earn freshman minutes. Ariza described a strong connection with Altman and his family during an official visit and recounted Altman correcting his shot as he made nearly 30 consecutive three-pointers. Ariza took official visits to each finalist after canceling a Kansas visit and removing Kentucky from his list. He plays for St. John Bosco High School and suited up for Team Why Not on the Nike EYBL.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]