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Hands makes two major decisions

Mater Dei Catholic So. | 6-0 | 150 Point guard who has drawn interest from top-notch programs after a big freshman season.

Mater Dei Catholic

So. | 6-0 | 150

Point guard who has drawn interest from top-notch programs after a big freshman season.

(Hayne Palmour IV / UT San Diego)
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Jaylen Hands, one of the top high school point guards in the country, has made two significant moves.

An All-County player at Mater Dei Catholic last season as a sophomore, Hands transfered to Foothills Christian after the school year.

His eligibility at Foothills was denied by the San Diego Section and Hands family chose not to appeal that decision to the State CIF.

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So he has enrolled at Balboa City, a prep school in downtown San Diego that isn’t goverened by the CIF, but plays a full schedule of games against other prep schools.

Hands also announced he has made a verbal commitment to play at UCLA as part of the recruiting class of 2017.

“Me and my family felt the most comfortable with UCLA and their staff as a whole,” Hands told Bruins Report. “The education, the spotlight, the lineage of point guards being sent to the league, and being so close to home is something we couldn’t pass up.

“I love how they play up tempo, and rely on their guards. They put the ball in the guards’ hands and let them play freely.”

Hands had scholarship offers from Louisville, Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Stanford and San Diego State among others.

The 6-foot-2, 175-pound junior is considered a five-star player by Rivals.com as well as Scout.com.

Scout has him ranked as the No. 3 point guard in his class as well as No. 2 on the West Coast and No. 1 in California.

Balboa City is coached by Zack Jones and boasts 6-11 center DeAndre Ayton, who is considered the No. 1 player in the Class of 2017.

Ayton and Hands play in the summer for the Compton Magic, a team that also includes TJ Leaf of Foothills Christian and Johnny McWilliams of San Marcos.

Balboa Prep was 16-14 last season, playing teams from Canada, Mexico and Australia as well as Nevada, Arizona, Florida, Texas and Ohio.

Under San Diego Section rules, Hands is free to play for any CIF school next season.

He can enroll and any public school as long as he moves into that school’s district.

He is also free to play for any private school in the San Diego Section.

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