UCLA secured a commitment from one of the best and most appropriately named point guard recruits in the class of 2017, Jaylen Hands.
The Foothills Christian High School prospect confirmed his commitment to ESPN Wednesday, choosing UCLA over schools like Arizona, Louisville, and San Diego State. Hands ranks 31st on the 2017 ESPN 100 and is the sixth-best rated point guard on the list.
ESPN evaluators love Hands' "uncanny" vision and his "dynamic" passing skills. At six-foot-2, his 150-pound frame is due to fill out as he gets older, but the evaluators noted Hands has large hands (go figure) and long arms, which bode well for his defensive development.
"I knew that UCLA is where I wanted to go," Hands told ESPN.com. "I felt comfortable with the coaches.
"I love the campus, and I couldn't pass up the education and lineage of point guards they've sent to the league."
247 Sports gave Hands a 0.9895 composite score, but ranked him third among its 2017 point guards and 27th overall in the class.
Of the very few commitments in the class of 2017, UCLA head men's basketball coach Steve Alford has three and he is thus far doing well with in-state high school players.
"I love how they play up tempo and rely on their guards," Hands told Scout.com. "They use the pick and roll well and put the ball in their guards hands and let them play freely. I feel with my ability to create for my teammates and as well as myself, I would fit in great with that system."
