A Brendan Lane update

Former Rocklin High big Brendan Lane redshirted at Pepperdine last season but will be back on the court in Malibu this go-around. Wave Coach Marty Wilson offers this about the 6-foot-9 Lane:

What kind of things did Brendan Lane work on during his redshirt season? As a senior on such a young team, will he be counted upon as a leader?

MW: “I think that was a big part of Brendan sitting out that season, and us recruiting him to start. We gave him that option, and he wanted that option to sit out because of his unfortunate…of not playing as much as he could have, or wanted to, or thought he should have at UCLA. Our conversation was him coming in, learning our system, our culture, finding out where he needs to be, and gaining his confidence.

“I think he’s done all that. A lot of people forget that he’s even here, but I think he’s going to be very valuable to us. Not just his skill, his size, his ability to shoot and rebound, but I challenged him — he’s a quiet guy — to be a leader. He’s so smart, he makes very few mistakes, and I wanted him to try and teach. I knew we’d have a lot of young guys who need someone to look up to, and he’s been great at teaching, communicating what and what not to do. Jett Raines probably benefited the most, and that’ll continue with some of our other guys.”