Jaylen Hands facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jaylen Hands

Hands at the 2017 McDonald's All-American Game
No. 50 – [[Pallacanestro Varese|Pallacanestro Varese]]
Shooting guard / Point guard
Personal information
Born	(1999-02-12) February 12, 1999 (age 26) San Diego, California, U.S.
High school	Mater Dei Catholic (Chula Vista, California) Balboa City School (San Diego, California) Foothills Christian (El Cajon, California)
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
College	UCLA (2017–2019)
NBA Draft	2019 / Round: 2 / Pick: 56th overall
Selected by the Los Angeles Clippers
Pro career	2019–present
League	Lega Basket Serie A
Career history
2019–2020	Long Island Nets
2021	FMP
2021	MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg
2021–2022	Telenet Giants Antwerp
2022–2023	PAOK Thessaloniki
2023–2024	Peristeri
2024	Palencia
2024–present	Pallacanestro Varese
Career highlights and awards
Second-team All-Pac-12 (2019) McDonald's All-American (2017)

Jaylen Joseph Hands (born February 12, 1999) is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays for Pallacanestro Varese in Italy's top league, the Lega Basket Serie A. Before turning pro, he played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins.

Jaylen was a highly-rated player in high school. In 2017, he was chosen to play in the famous McDonald's All-American Game. Major scouting groups like ESPN and 247Sports ranked him as one of the best point guards in the country. In 2019, during his second year at UCLA, he was named to the second-team All-Pac-12. The Los Angeles Clippers picked him in the second round of the 2019 NBA draft. He was then traded to the Brooklyn Nets. After playing one season in the NBA G League for the Long Island Nets, he began his career playing for teams in Europe in 2021.

High School Basketball Journey

Jaylen Hands started his high school basketball career at Mater Dei Catholic High School in Chula Vista, California. There, he was named an All-County player. He also won the San Diego Metro League Player of the Year award. In 2014, his team won the CIF championship.

After his second year, he tried to move to Foothills Christian High School in El Cajon. However, the local sports authority did not approve this move. So, Jaylen went to Balboa City, a special prep school. This school was not under the same rules as other high schools. At Balboa City, he played alongside Deandre Ayton, who would also become a top basketball prospect.

For his final year of high school, Jaylen's move to Foothills Christian was approved. He played for coach Brad Leaf, whose son, T. J. Leaf, also became a star player at UCLA. That year, Jaylen was amazing! He averaged 29 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game. He also won the slam dunk contest at the Ballislife All-American Game.

Many top college teams wanted Jaylen to play for them. Teams like Arizona, Louisville, and San Diego State offered him scholarships. But on September 16, 2015, Jaylen decided to commit to UCLA.

College Basketball Career

Freshman Year at UCLA (2017–18)

As a freshman, Jaylen Hands joined junior Aaron Holiday at UCLA. Both were fast guards who could handle the ball. They were expected to play together and share the role of point guard.

At first, Jaylen's play was a bit up and down. He often came off the bench as a reserve player. He started the first five games but then missed one due to a foot injury. When he returned, he became the team's sixth man.

On December 3, 2017, Jaylen had a fantastic game against Detroit Mercy. He scored a career-high 23 points. He also grabbed nine rebounds and made four assists in just 24 minutes.

Later in the season, on January 25, 2018, Jaylen returned to the starting lineup. He scored 14 points and had six rebounds in a win against California. In the next game, he had a season-high 10 assists with only one turnover. This helped UCLA win against Stanford.

Jaylen missed the last regular season game due to an ankle injury. He returned for the Pac-12 tournament but played limited minutes. He finished his freshman year averaging 9.9 points per game. After the season, he thought about entering the 2018 NBA draft but decided to stay at UCLA.

Sophomore Year at UCLA (2018–19)

In his sophomore year, Aaron Holiday had left for the NBA. So, Jaylen Hands became the main point guard for the UCLA Bruins. He wanted to become a better leader and improve his assists while reducing turnovers. He and fellow sophomore Kris Wilkes were the team's top returning scorers.

On November 28, 2019, Jaylen set a new personal best with 11 assists in a win against Hawaii. In the very next game, he achieved his first career double-double. He scored 17 points and made 10 assists against Loyola Marymount. He followed this with another double-double, scoring 12 points and making 11 assists against Notre Dame. He was the first UCLA player to have 10 or more assists in three games in a row!

On February 9, 2019, Jaylen scored a career-high 27 points against Utah. However, UCLA lost the game after giving up a big lead. On February 23, he scored all of his 27 points in the second half against Oregon. He made 7 out of 8 three-pointers, helping UCLA come back from a 19-point deficit to win.

In the next game against USC, he had 21 points and 10 assists with no turnovers. This was an overtime win against their rivals. His great performance earned him his first Pac-12 Player of the Week award.

In the first game of the Pac-12 tournament, Jaylen had 22 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. He finished the year leading the Pac-12 in assists (6.1 per game). He was also named to the second-team All-Pac-12. After this successful season, he decided to enter the NBA draft and hire an agent.

Professional Basketball Career

Starting in the NBA G League (2019–2020)

The Los Angeles Clippers picked Jaylen Hands in the second round of the 2019 NBA draft. He was the 56th player chosen overall. Soon after, he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets then had him sign with their G League team, the Long Island Nets.

On December 11, 2019, Jaylen had a strong game for the Long Island Nets. He scored 28 points, grabbed six rebounds, made five assists, and had three steals. In his first professional season, he averaged 11.3 points, 3.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game. In November 2020, his draft rights were traded to the Detroit Pistons. However, the Pistons later gave up his rights in July 2021.

Playing in Europe (2021–Present)

On January 1, 2021, Jaylen signed a two-year contract with FMP, a team in Serbia.

In August 2021, he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2021 NBA Summer League. In September, his G League rights were traded to the Westchester Knicks. On September 22, Jaylen signed with MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg in Germany.

On October 11, 2021, Jaylen moved to Belgium and signed with Telenet Giants Antwerp. He played for them during the 2021–2022 season.

On July 4, 2022, Jaylen signed with PAOK Thessaloniki in Greece. In 31 games in the Greek league, he averaged 13.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.

On June 24, 2023, Jaylen signed with Peristeri Athens, another Greek team. He also played for them in the FIBA Champions League. He averaged 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. He left the club in February 2024.

On July 9, 2024, Jaylen Hands signed with Pallacanestro Varese in Italy. He continues his professional career there.

Career Statistics

College

See also

In Spanish: Jaylen Hands para niños