He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels and the UCLA Bruins.

In high school, Wear won a silver medal for the United States national team at the FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship.

[4] Wear and his twin brother, Travis, played for the defending national champion North Carolina Tar Heels in their freshman year.

[6] The Tar Heels missed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament, which upset their fans.

However, UCLA coach Ben Howland was fired after the season, prompting Wear and his brother to consider transferring.

[5] On January 26, 2014, Wear scored a career-high 18 points against California, eclipsing his previous high of 17 in 2011, also against Cal.

[12] Wear's shooting ability allowed him to thrive in Coach David Arseneault Jr.'s run-and-gun system,[13] and he was invited to participate in the Three-Point Contest during the 2015 D-League All-Star Weekend.

[19][20] In July 2008, Wear won a silver medal playing for the USA Basketball Men's U18 National Team at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship in Formosa, Argentina.