Meet Jaylen Hands, the UCLA freshman replacing Lonzo Ball

The year before Lonzo Ball arrived at UCLA, fans were flying banners over campus calling for head coach Steve Alford to be fired. The Bruins had just finished a 15-17 season in front of dwindling crowds, and apathy for the program felt like it was at an all-time high.

That makes what Ball was able to do in one short season in Westwood nothing short of spectacular. Almost instantly, UCLA turned into the greatest show in the sport, pushing the pace, flooding the court with shooters and letting Ball orchestrate the country’s most devastating offense. The Bruins weren’t just one of the sport’s best teams, they were also the one you felt morally obligated to stay up late to watch because they were so much fun.

Now Ball is wearing a Lakers uniform, and the Bruins have to somehow keep the momentum rolling without him. If there’s going to be life after Ball for UCLA, incoming freshman point guard Jaylen Hands is going to be the man at the controls. There might not be a bigger void to fill in college basketball.

Like Ball, Hands enters the program as a McDonald’s All-American and five-star recruit born and raised in California. That’s where most of the similarities end.

How many point guards are capable of: a) winning a dunk contest, b) doing it by jumping over their coach? That’s the type of floor general UCLA has in Hands.

Where Ball dominated games with his mind, Hands is going to use his quickness and explosiveness to have an impact. He’s superior at breaking down opposing defenses off the dribble and finishing above the rim. It’s almost impossible to keep him in front of you.

In transition, Hands is more De’Aaron Fox than Ball. While Ball was always looking to quickly push the ball ahead with a pass, Hands has the speed to win a foot race to the rim:

Ball’s greatest strength was always his mind. He would see plays develop before anyone else and get the ball to teammates into advantageous positions without hesitation. Hands has a lot to learn in that regard. He earned a reputation for being a little out of control as a high school player.

“Lonzo’s passing skills are insane,” Hands told SB Nation at the McDonald’s All-American Game in March. “He threw some of the best passes I’ve ever seen in person. Obviously I’m going to give that edge to him over me, and almost anyone.

“For me, I really think I can bring an attacking point to UCLA. Being able to attack the defense off the dribble a little bit more, get in the paint. But Lonzo was amazing, so i’m just excited to get here and see what happens.”

The key for Alford will be unleashing Hands’ athleticism while corralling his turnovers. The Bruins found a new identity by cranking up the tempo under Ball. That shouldn’t change with Hands in charge.

The Bruins want to play fast and loose. Last season, only Auburn and St. John’s finished with a higher adjusted tempo than UCLA among power conference schools. Ball’s look-ahead passes are gone, but this Bruins team is still going to be a terror in the open floor thanks to an infusion of athletic freshmen.

UCLA lost a lot more than just Ball. Four starters from last year’s team are gone, including knockdown shooters in T.J. Leaf, Bryce Alford, and Isaac Hamilton. Add in Ball’s long-range shooting proficiency, and the Bruins are missing almost 300 made three-pointers from last season’s starting lineup. Senior center Thomas Welsh is the only starter coming back.

This year’s team won’t be able to catch fire from three in the same way. Instead, they will try to leverage their athleticism to get into the paint and finish at the rim.

“I don’t think we have the shooters they have, but I think we have better athletes,” Hands said. “Me and Kris (Wilkes) we like to get up above the rim. I think we’ll incorporate that pushing style.”

Hands isn’t the only McDonald’s All-American UCLA is bringing in this year. There’s also five-star wing Kris Wilkes, a high-flyer from Indianapolis. When asked about Wilkes at the McDonald’s Game, Hands said one word:

“Bounce.”

“I like the between the legs lob, so watch out for that,” Hands said.

Holiday was one of the best sixth men in the country last year. Now the junior gets a chance at a starting spot, where he and Hands will likely share ball handling duties.

That’s a luxury most five-star freshmen thrown into the fire won’t have. Holiday is a solid defender, a 41-percent three-point shooter and a heady passer. If Hands ever gets too out of control, Alford knows his has a veteran leader in Holiday to slow things down.

Most programs could not handle the attrition UCLA suffered this offseason. Ball was a special player, and Leaf, Hamilton and Bryce Alford were perfect in their roles. Still, the Bruins enter the season ranked No. 21 in the AP Poll because Steve Alford has reloaded with athletic freshman. None of them have bigger shoes to fill than Hands.

UCLA has another ‘Showtime’ point guard to keep its freewheeling system alive for one more year. We know the Bruins will be fun. How good they actually are will depend heavily on if Hands is ready to run from day one.