UCLA Basketball: 5 things we learned from the Bruins’ exhibition game

4. Jaylen has Hands

Last season, Jaylen Hands played a little bit out-of-control and needed to work on his ball handling skills. Despite being an explosive offensive player, there were several things he lacked as a floor general. He might have possessed the skills to take them to the next level in the pros, but there are things he needed to work on and got a lot of feedback about it from the NBA Combine.

On Saturday, we saw the genesis of him taking that next step.

Against NYIT, Hands looked like a seasoned vet as he had better control of the ball, the offense, and the game in general. Along with Brown, Hands got UCLA’s scoring off to a quick start, but once the rest of the team got into the flow, the sophomore standout was able to direct his team with ease and looked comfortable doing it.

Hands was able to play at the uptempo pace Alford requires but was not frantic in his approach. What is that John Wooden saying? “Be quick, but don’t hurry.” That perfectly encompassed Hands’ performance in the exhibition win. His final stats for the night were 15 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals. That is the kind of effort you want from your floor general. Still, I would like to see how he performs against a more talented team.