North Carolina’s loss has become UCLA’s gain.
On Tuesday, UCLA men’s basketball coach Ben Howland announced that twins David and Travis Wear ““ who recently stated their intent to transfer from North Carolina after one season ““ signed offers of financial aid and will enroll at UCLA.
Needless to say, Howland was jubilant over the signings.
“I’m just so excited, so happy, just elated about David and Travis Wear,” he said. “No. 1, fantastic players that are just going to get better and better because of their work ethic … but they’re equally great kids. Just wonderful young men who represent all the ideals of UCLA. They’re going to be a great addition to the program.”
The identical twins, who are both listed at 6 feet 10 inches and around 230 pounds, were four-star recruits. Howland and his staff heavily recruited the twins out of Santa Ana’s Mater Dei High School before they committed to North Carolina. They played in Chapel Hill, N.C., for one season before deciding to seek a transfer and were granted a release from their scholarships earlier this month.
“The past was the past,” Travis Wear said. “I want to focus on the future now as a UCLA Bruin and do whatever I can do to contribute to their program.”
Because of NCAA transfer rules, the twins will have to sit out the upcoming 2010-2011 season but will maintain three years of eligibility when they return to the court in fall 2011. That said, the brothers will have a chance to practice all season long with a potentially loaded frontcourt that includes rising sophomores Reeves Nelson and Brendan Lane as well as incoming freshman Josh Smith.
“No question we’re going to be good up front,” Howland said. “To have depth up there is very important, and to have high-level players, this is very exciting. People will be very excited to watch these young men play, how they play. Understanding of the game, unselfishness ““ I couldn’t be more happy.”
The Wears are products of a high school program that has been very generous to UCLA in recent years. They will join incoming freshman and fellow Mater Dei alumnus Tyler Lamb on the Bruins’ roster.
The three played together for the 2008-2009 high school season. Lamb said he was with the twins on Tuesday and expressed his excitement at the opportunity to play with them again.
And according to Howland, one of the things that makes the twins so appealing is their impressive basketball background.
“They’ve been very well-coached, you’re talking about four years in the Mater Dei program,” Howland said. “They really know how to play, how to defend. We’re going to be able to use them in a lot of ways. They have a lot of versatility.”
Howland said he is thrilled to have players who can take the outside shot as well as post up, rebound, pass and screen.
Both brothers averaged more than 10 minutes a game at North Carolina, with Travis Wear averaging 3.5 points and 2.2 rebounds per game, and David Wear averaging 2.9 points and 1.7 rebounds.
Howland’s happiness at his new additions is reciprocated by the twins, who each expressed their joy at being able to play close to home. While they embraced the opportunity to play across the country at an elite program such as North Carolina, the lure of home eventually became too enticing.
“I realize that I really wanted the support of my family and friends, and I just wasn’t getting it (at North Carolina),” Travis Wear said. “I just decided to come home, and I’m going to spend my career at UCLA. I’m happy.”
Once they announced their intent to transfer, the twins were pursued by a number of programs, particularly those on the West Coast. According to the brothers, some programs made offers for just one of the two, something that Howland said “blows (him) away,” given how close they are and their on-court chemistry.
Ultimately, the twins determined that Westwood would be the ideal place to continue their collegiate careers.
“It’s a great basketball program with a great coach, and right up the street,” David Wear said. “We’re looking for what school would best benefit us now, and we feel like UCLA just happened to be the right place for us.”
With reports from Rebecca Lee, Bruin Sports senior staff.