Hello, everyone! Today we're going to examine the major figures inOregon basketballhiring for the 2026 class. Starting with the two real signees,Kendre Harrison and Tajh Ariza.
Kendre is a 6'7", 243-pound big man who is currently a consensus 4-star recruit and the #2 player in North Carolina. Don't be fooled by his size. This guy is an incredible athlete. One thing I should have mentioned is that, in addition to being a top 100 basketball recruit, he's also the #25 overall recruit in football. He's currently ranked as the #2 tight end in his class and has an impressive 6'11" wingspan and huge 10.5-inch hands. On the court, he reminds me a lot of Jordan Bell, but bigger. Not taller, BIGGER. The guy is a dominant force, moving people effortlessly and defending the paint like it's his own home. And thanks to his football experience, he moves well across the court. I think if he continues playing both sports (we all know what happened withArik Armsteadlol), he could be really entertaining to watch both on the hardwood and the gridiron.
Tajh Ariza is a five-star prospect who pledged to Oregon at the start of October. The 6'9" forward, weighing 200 pounds, is the eldest son of an 18-year NBA veteran.Trevor Arizaand is currently (as per 24/7)the fourth highest contribution in program history(With Kwame Evans Jr., and Malik Hariston). Ariza, similar to his father, is a naturally athletic player. He truly demonstrates this athleticism throughout his game, from smooth movement in the open court/transition, to being able to switch and guard any position on defense. He averaged an impressive 27 points and 14 rebounds per game as a junior at Westchester High School but will be moving to St. John Bosco for his senior year. With his mix of size, athleticism, and reach (a 7-foot wingspan), he has all the qualities needed to become a standout player at Oregon and eventually in the NBA.
Another title to watch for:Tyran Stokes. The top overall prospect in the 2026 class. He has been namedOregon among the top-5 finalists, along with Kentucky, Kansas, USC, and Louisville. However, he recentlyentered into an NIL agreement with Nike, which probably eliminates Kansas and Louisville (both Adidas affiliated teams) from consideration. There is no set commitment date yet, but stay tuned.
Stokes is unquestionably the most skilled player in the 2026 class, even when factoring in that his shooting ability is his least developed area. He is highly athletic and resembles a powerful freight train when he accelerates, but he can also generate his own shot and has a solid handle, which is impressive given his size (6'7", 230lbs, 7-foot wingspan). On defense, he's already quite good, but possesses the physical tools to become exceptional if he fully dedicates himself to improving on that end, rather than just relying on his height to make plays. As I noted earlier, his shooting might be the weakest aspect of his game, but he has shown significant improvement over the past few years, hitting around 36% from beyond the arc last season, although only taking about 3 shots per game from that range.
Coach Altmanand Co. will always discover other players who are not on anyone else's radar (Wei Lin, anyone?), but these are just the most prominent ones so far. They've already secured two really talented players, but if they can get Stokes to sign on as well? Wow, that would make for a very strong incoming class.
As always, ‘Sco Ducks