Basketball officially signs freshman guard Isaac Hamilton
By Kevin Bowman
Sept. 26, 2013 6:19 p.m.
UCLA men’s basketball announced the signing of freshman guard Isaac Hamilton on Thursday, granting him a scholarship after he enrolled at UCLA earlier this month.
Hamilton, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard, is rated a five-star recruit and is ranked as the No. 14 player and the No. 3 shooting guard in the 2013 recruiting class by Rivals.com. ESPN and Scout.com both rank Hamilton as a four-star prospect.
“We are very excited to welcome Isaac to the Bruin family,” said coach Steve Alford in a statement. “He comes from a great family, a strong high school program here in Los Angeles and he had an exceptional career as a McDonald’s All-American; an honor that encompasses skill, academics and character. Isaac is a big, versatile guard and will fit well with our system of play.”
Hamilton, who initially signed with UTEP last November, was not released from his letter of intent by UTEP coach Tim Floyd, and Hamilton’s appeal to the National Letter of Intent committee for a waiver was denied, which may make Hamilton ineligible to play this season.
“It’s hard to put into words how happy I am to be part of the UCLA basketball program,” Hamilton said in a statement. “UCLA is one the elite schools in the country and it is an honor to be a Bruin. I am excited to start classes (Thursday) and I can’t wait to practice with my teammates and ultimately compete with them for Coach Alford.”
In his senior season at St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, Calif., Hamilton, the brother of Denver Nuggets forward Jordan Hamilton, averaged 23.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.1 steals per game. He also earned a spot on the McDonald’s All-American team and helped his high school team win the CIF Southern Section Division III-A title.
Hamilton joins forward Wanaah Bail, who was originally a Texas Tech signee, as freshmen who signed with UCLA after initially signing elsewhere.
Compiled by Kevin Bowman, Bruin Sports senior staff.
