Junior guard Jaylen Hands verbally committed to UCLA on Wednesday, he tells Scout.

"Me and my family felt the most comfortable with UCLA and their staff as a whole," Hands said. "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."

Hands selected the Bruins over significant interest from Arizona, USC, Stanford, California and a host of other schools. Hands has taken multiple unofficial visits to UCLA

"I love how they play up tempo and rely on their guards," Hands said about UCLA. "They use the pick and roll well and put the ball in their guards hands and let them play freely. I feel with my ability to create for my teammates and as well as myself, I would fit in great with that system."

Hands, a 6-foot-2 guard, is regarded as the No. 3 point guard prospect and the No. 21 overall player in the class.

During the spring and summer, Hands played with Etop Udo-Ema's Compton Magic team. Through 19 games on the adidas Uprising circuit, Hands averaged 12.6 points and 4.5 assists a game.

Hands is Steve Alford's third commitment of the 2017 recruiting class.

The Bruins have done a terrific job as of late reeling in local players. They currently have the No. 2 recruiting class in 2016 with three four-star prospects all from the Los Angeles area.

While Hands hails from San Diego and goes to Balboa Prep, it's clear the Bruins have placed a strong focus on recruiting California.

--Josh Gershon also contributed to this report