Wear Twins Sign Written Offer of Financial Aid To Attend UCLA
from the Official UCLA Men's Basketball website
May 25 2010
Brothers will redshirt in 2010-11 and have three seasons of eligibility
Sophomore forwards David and Travis Wear have signed written offers of financial aid and will attend UCLA this coming year, Bruin men's basketball head coach Ben Howland announced today.
The Wears (6-10, 230), who both earned McDonald's All-America honors at Mater Dei High School in Orange County, played this past season at North Carolina and received their releases earlier this month. They will redshirt in 2010-11 per NCAA rule and have three years of eligibility beginning in 2011-12.
"I am absolutely ecstatic about Dave and Travis joining our program," said Howland. "Both are outstanding players. They are highly-skilled good athletes who are hard workers and extremely motivated to be at their best. They are constantly working hard on their overall game.
"They are a great addition to our program, not only as players but as people. They come from a great family and from one of the best high school programs in the country in Mater Dei, coached by Gary McKnight."
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Quotables: Ben Howland on the Wear transfers
By Jon Gold
Inside UCLA with Jon Gold
LA Daily News
on May 25, 2010 2:14 PM
Opening Statement:
"I'm just so excited, so happy, just elated about both David and Travis Wear signing their scholarship letters to attend UCLA. No. 1 fantastic players who are just going to be better and better because of their work ethic and drive to be great. But they're equally great kids, young men who represent the ideals of UCLA."
What position do you project them at for the Bruins?
"They're forwards, both very capable of stepping out to shoot out on the perimeter. David has even show the ability to match up sometimes with the three. They've been very well coached - we're talking about four years in the Mater Dei program. They really know how to play, how to defend. They did a great job of teaching defense. They're very versatile, we'll be able to play them in a lot of ways."
Talk about getting the Wears a year after you lost them to North Carolina:
"Obviously we were disappointed when we didn't get them originally. But I'm so thankful how things work out. You think now: They'll have one year to practice every day, getting bigger and stronger. We're looking forward to having them on campus this summer. You're talking about hitting the ground floor running - they're going to be hitting the ground floor sprinting. I just feel very, very good that this ended up. I've always thought the world of them, both as players and as young men."
The Wears said that some schools offered one but not the other, was that ever a thought?
"Absolutely not. I can't even imagine who did that. That blows me away. They're both really good, and they're very close, too. Identical twins, have a very close bond, really are supportive of each other. You're getting two really good players, not just one."
Can you tell them apart?
"Once you get to know people over years, even identical twins, you can tell them apart. Right now, David has longer hair than Travis. Even when they have the same exact length, I can tell them apart."
How will they help you this year when they have to redshirt?
"It's going to obviously help. That's how you get better. We've had really good teams here in the past, Darren Collison competing against Jordan Faramar, Russell Westbrook competing against Collison. When you have that level of competition in practice, that's how you get better day in and day out. Even though they won't be able to play this year, it really helps our team to have them every day."
Why do you think they left North Carolina?
"There's no place as living in Southern California. That to me is a no-brainer. You don't really learn that until you live in other parts of the country. I know they'll really be happy being close to home, close to mom and dad, close to friends."
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EXCLUSIVE: David and Travis Wear on their transfer
By Jon Gold
Inside UCLA with Jon Gold
LA Daily News
on May 25, 2010 1:03 PM
Why the decision to come to UCLA now and not out of high school?
David: "I just feel like it's a great school with a great coach. I was looking for a school that was benefit me as a player, and as a student athlete. It wasn't so much (Howland's) pitch - originally I wanted to experience going away from home, playing for North Carolina, seeing what that was like. But seeing how much my family, my friends, my people support me, I missed that a lot. I miss being able to come home and see everyone."
Travis: "He basically summed it up right there - I was really intrigued with the idea of playing for North Carolina. I thought it was a great opportunity, but I did miss the support of our friends and our family out here. I did miss home."
What was the transfer process like? Tough to leave North Carolina?
David: "It was a great experience, no hard feelings at all - I made a lot of good friends there, I have a lot of respect for everyone back there. It was more a personal decision and a family decision than anything."
Was there any question you'd choose UCLA?
David: "Since UCLA was my No. 2 to start with, I feel like I had an idea of where I wanted to go. There were other options out there, but I wanted to stay in the West coast, stay in the Pac-10. It just so happened to be up the street. And they had two scholarships available, which was great."
Any apprehension given UCLA's past season?
David: "I feel like it's a great school with a historic program. Every school has their down years. My brother and I are both going to come in and do everything we can to contribute. It's going to be great to play with a former teammate Blake Arnet, and Tyler Lamb is going to be there also. They have a lot of talent on that team, and a great coach. I don't think it will take a lot to get it turned around. We have all the weapons, all the tools to do so."
How important is it to you to play with former high school and AAU teammates?
Travis: "I'm very excited about being a part of the nucleus over there. Being able to play with players I played with in high school is going to be a wonderful experience. I played with a lot of them growing up through the years."
How difficult will it be to sit out next season?
Travis: "It's going to be tough, but I'll have the opportunity to get bigger and stronger and work on my game. When I come back in, my first year of eligibility, I'll be that much better."
Was there any thoughts of splitting up?
David: "There were schools out there that offered to take one of us if the other didn't want to go. But we're comfortable playing together, and to have the opportunity to keep playing together is a great thing. We played together our whole lives."
Travis: "I don't think we've ever thought about splitting up. It was a given that we'd go the same place."
Welcome to UCLA, David and Travis!
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