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| Travis (left) and David (right) Wear. Photo Link |
As UCLA takes a four-game winning streak into a crucial 3 p.m. Saturday tipoff at Stanford, a pair of senior forwards are rounding into peak form.
David Wear has played at least 20 minutes in each of his last five games, his longest such streak since November. Travis Wear, meanwhile, seems to have finally shaken off a preseason appendectomy; he is averaging 25.5 minutes and 11.3 points in his last four appearances.
These are not flashy numbers, but they’re important given the reduced load the twins have been given. In two seasons under former coach Ben Howland, they touched the ball last on 40.3 and 35.5 percent of Bruin (21-5, 10-3) possessions. This year, they only do so on 28.7 percent.
First-year head coach Steve Alford agreed that it has taken some time for both of the Wears to acclimate to their roles in his offense. They’ve become more efficient on offense, with Travis Wear getting particularly hot; in his past five games, he is 6 of 7 from beyond the arc.
“I think Travis is healthy and feeling good about himself again,” Alford added. “That makes a big difference as well. Both of them are doing so much for us. They’re rebounding. They’re making a ton of shots.”
But it’s their defense that Alford continues to highlight. Neither Wear is a traditional big man despite standing 6-foot-10, but are versatile and experienced enough that they can stretch out and defend other stretch forwards.
“That’s helped us take our game to the next level,” he said. “Whether we’re man or zone, we haven’t had a lot of matchup issues this year.”
That could come in handy against the Cardinal (17-8, 8-5), whose forwards, Dwight Powell and Josh Huestis, both take over 60 percent of their shots away from the rim.
Edney to join Pac-12 Hall
Former UCLA guard Tyus Edney, best known for his 4.8-second dash against Missouri in the 1995 NCAA Tournament, will be the school’s latest inductee into the Pac-12 Basketball Hall of Honor.
He will officially join those ranks on March 14, during a ceremony before the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals at MGM Grand Arena.
The Bruins’ current director of operations was an all-conference selection in each of his last three seasons, and helped the team to its 1995 championship as a senior. He has the second-most all-time assists (652) in UCLA history and the third-most all-time free throws made (450). He also holds the single-game conference record with 11 steals.
“This is a huge honor for me,” Edney said in a statement. “I am so humbled to be recognized alongside some of our conference’s most respected and accomplished players. To even be considered for this induction is a tremendous privilege.”
The league established the Hall of Honor in 2002, with each member school selecting one honoree each year. UCLA’s first was legendary head coach John Wooden.
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