Tony Parker starting to stay out of foul trouble

UCLA big man Tony Parker’s 13-point outing at Stanford last Saturday was his best offensive showing in nearly a month. It also included just one foul — his first game with less than two since Nov. 24. It’s part of a small but not insignificant trend.

Through his first seven Pac-12 games as a sophomore, Parker committed 9.26 fouls per 40 minutes. Through his last seven, he committed 6.85. While the latter number still puts him last on the team’s eight-man rotation, the 6-foot-10 forward appears to be getting a little more comfortable with how to use his frame.

“He’s not fouling in transition, which is something that’s been good,” said head coach Steve Alford. “In the post, he’s just using his strength more versus leaning on people. I think he got in trouble early in the season when he was leaning on people.”

Added Parker: “All the refs talk to me, ‘Just keep your hands up.’ I feel like I get little knick-knack fouls. Playing with my hands up has really helped me out a lot.”