St. John Bosco defeated St. Bernard 60-47 to win a CIF-SS boys Open Division playoff basketball game. - Source: Getty

Trevor Ariza's son Tajh Ariza takes on the USC Speak Your Mind Ice Bucket Challenge, nominates new St. John Bosco teammate to go next

Modified Apr 21, 2025 20:50 GMT

NBA legend Trevor Ariza's son, Tajh Ariza, is among the top recruits from the Class of 2026. The young small forward will leave his father's former high school and join St. John Bosco for the upcoming season. He took part in the “Speak Your Mind” challenge on Monday.

To spread mental health awareness, students at the University of Southern California introduced the “Speak Your Mind” challenge. Based on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, this campaign was developed by USC’s MIND club (Mental Health Needs Discussion).

Its goal is to break the silence around mental health struggles. The person attempting the challenge needs to challenge some people for the same before pouring cold water on themselves.

Tajh Ariza posted his attempt on his Instagram handle, nominating his new St. John Bosco teammate.

"Thank you, Josh Palmer, for nominating me for USC's Speak Your Mind challenge. I am nominating Christian Collins ... Domonick Bowie and that's it, I have got nobody else to nominate," he said.

What followed the nomination was Tajh's hilarious reaction to getting drenched in the cold water. As soon as he saw the bucket being lifted, he asked them to wait multiple times. But when the girls pouring water on him didn't stop, he jumped out of the chair.

However, he couldn't escape the attack as the girls emptied the bucket of cold water on his bare back and body. The young lad could be seen clenching his teeth and standing still for seconds after getting drenched.

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Christian Collins is the No. 3 recruit from the Class of 2026 and plays at the same position as Tajh. The pair will be teaming up for St. John Bosco in the next season.

St. John Bosco lost the Southern Section Open Division finals to Roosevelt last season. Fans would hope for the duo of Collins and Ariza to take them over the line this season.

Tajh Ariza's final season for Westchester before moving to St. John Bosco

Tajh's last season in Westchester was an even mix of joys and heartbreaks. In his senior season, Ariza led the Comets to a 24-10 overall record and a perfect 12-0 mark in the California Los Angeles City Section Western league, finishing ahead of programs like Palisades and Fairfax.

During the 2025 CIF State boys basketball playoffs, the Comets defeated La Jolla Country Day 70-47 and followed that with a 71-63 win over Cleveland. However, their postseason run ended in the regional semifinals with a 75-61 loss to Alijah Arenas' Chatsworth.

About the author

Nishant is a Delhi-based journalist at Sportskeeda specializing in High School Sports. He graduated in Mathematical Sciences and is pursuing a Masters in Operational Research at Delhi University.

With his educational background and over four years of experience, Nishant likes to be precise with information. He is passionate about cricket, football, basketball, and chess, often writing about events and game analysis.

His favorite team is the Michigan Wolverines, and he thoroughly enjoyed their unbeaten season and championship win, especially when it culminated in Jim Harbaugh fulfilling his promise of getting a tattoo.

When he is not working or watching sports, Nishant likes to play football and write poetry. Wrapping everything in humor with relatable memes and defending his heart out on the football field is why he gets up every day.

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