UCLA signee Jaylen Hands had 14 points and 3 assists in the McDonald’s All-American Game. (David Banks/Getty Images)
One of two signees from a UCLA recruiting class ranked No. 2 in the country playing in the nation’s premiere high school all-star game, Hands finished with 14 points and three assists in 20 minutes to help the West team to a 109-107 win over the East team.
Kris Wilkes, UCLA’s most heralded incoming recruit, finished with eight points on 3-of-6 shooting in 13 minutes for the East team. UCLA’s roster is still very much in flux with TJ Leaf, Ike Anigbogu, Thomas Welsh and Aaron Holiday yet to declare if they will stay or depart for the NBA, but Wilkes’ spot in the starting lineup seems fairly secure given that small forward Isaac Hamilton is graduating.
Hands showed the type of ability that makes rivals.com’s No. 24 prospect in the country a player who has to be on the court even if Holiday remains at UCLA. Much like he played Ball and Holiday together, coach Steve Alford will put his best players on the floor and Hands certainly qualifies no matter who returns to UCLA.
Ball tied a McDonald’s All-American record with 13 assists last year, but few point guards’ will compare favorably to the best pure passer to play college basketball since Jason Kidd.
Hands showed mature court vision and made at least one spectacular pass among his three assists, but can’t be expected to be the distributor Ball was.
What stood out the most was Hands’ ability to take the ball to the basket. The 6-foot-3 guard made 3 of his 7 field goal attempts, but made 10 trips to the free throw line, a impressive feat in an all-star game where contested shots are a rarity. To put it in perspective, the entire East team combined was 8 of 10 from the free throw line. Hands was 8 of 10 by himself.
Hands also had a pair of steals, a block and two turnovers. He played a little out of control at times, but it’s nothing that can’t be curbed once he arrives to UCLA. He also showed some defensive ability and was on the court down the stretch as the West team held off a late charge from the East.
Being on the court was Wilkes’ main problem. The best scorer in UCLA’s recruiting class shot 50 percent from the field, but wasn’t quite as involved as one might expect for espn’s No. 13 prospect in the country.