ASU Basketball: Hands the key for UCLA against Sun Devils

UCLA guard Jaylen Hands guided the Bruins to a first-round victory in Las Vegas. For ASU basketball to advance, it must account for the sophomore.

As modern basketball continues to evolve into a guard-dominant game, the UCLA Bruins conformed long before the trend became popular.

Russell Westbrook, Darren Collison, and more recently Lonzo Ball served time as floor generals in Westwood, transitioning to the NBA after successful college careers. Ball reached the Sweet 16 in his lone year with the program while Westbrook and Collison each played in the final weekend of the season.

Though UCLA is not a candidate to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and will undergo a hiring process for its new head coach in the offseason, the Bruins have an opportunity to be a potential spoiler in Las Vegas. To do so, interim coach Murray Bartow will look to his point guard in the team’s second-round matchup against No. 2 seed Arizona State.

Sophomore Jaylen Hands might not be the passer Ball was or the same-caliber defender as Westbrook and Collison, but there’s no denying his scoring prowess.

Hands averages 13.7 points and a touch above six assists per contest, the Bruins’ second-leading scorer and assists leader. In their first-round victory, a 79-72 decision over No. 10 seed Stanford, he poured in a game-high 22 with 11 rebounds.

When he’s in a rhythm, there are few players in the conference that can match his skill set.

Over the first 20 minutes, Hands had 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting. His athleticism and range complemented by the presence of sophomore Kris Wilkes left Stanford unable to double team Hands, enabling him to utilize a quick first step to blow by defenders.

However, the sophomore’s decision making is questionable, despite a high volume of assists. At times, Hands overlooked open teammates and forced low-percentage looks, shooting 2-of-7 in the second half. He also finished with seven turnovers against three assists.

If ASU is to advance beyond Thursday’s game with UCLA, Hands is the key, and the Sun Devils must do their part in accounting for him.

The quarterfinal matchup between ASU and UCLA tips off at 6:00 p.m. from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.