Updated: September 13, 2013, 3:27 PM ET
By Jeff Goodman | ESPN.com
Hamilton signed with UTEP in November but later asked for a release from coach Tim Floyd, who refused to allow Hamilton out of his letter of intent.
Hamilton, who is from Los Angeles, said he wanted to play closer to his ailing grandmother. He was thought to be headed to Southern California, but the Trojans backed off and UCLA wound up admitting him -- just one day after new Bruins coach Steve Alford lost out on guard Quentin Snider to Illinois.
ESPN ranked Hamilton, a younger brother of NBA forward Jordan Hamilton, as the No. 5 shooting guard and 32nd player overall in the ESPN 100.
Although he will sit out this season, sources said he will be allowed to be on scholarship. The National Letter of Intent committee last week denied Hamilton's appeal for a waiver to play this season.
Daniel Hamilton, the Hamiltons' younger brother, has committed to UConn, meaning he and Isaac will begin their college careers in 2014.
ESPN.com's Andy Katz contributed to this report.
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In the aftermath of their missing out on point guards Jordan McLaughlin and Quentin Snider, the question has been asked in many circles what the next step would be for the UCLA basketball program. This year’s roster doesn’t have a concrete answer at the position, and it’s something that becomes even more problematic when looking towards the future under head coach Steve Alford.
But the Bruins may have found an answer, one that while a bit unconventional is also an extremely talented one.
That answer: McDonald’s All-American Isaac Hamilton. After having hisrequest to be released from the National Letter of Intent he signed after committing to attend UTEP denied, Hamilton had to move quickly in finding another school to attend this fall. According to Neal Nieves of Bruin Sports Report, Hamilton was admitted into UCLA Friday and has begun the process of enrolling in classes.
While Hamilton will not be allowed to play this season (and he loses a year of eligibility), he is eligible to join the program and receive an athletic scholarship. This is a highly valuable addition for coach Alford and his staff, and given the questions at point guard Hamilton having to sit out a year could be a blessing in disguise should they entertain the possibility of using him there in 2014-15.
As a senior at St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, Calif., Hamilton averaged 22.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game on a team that won the CIF Southern Section Class 3A title. There’s no doubt that he’s got the talent needed to make an immediate impact at UCLA. The question is whether or not he’s the best answer for the Bruins at the point in 2014-15, with Bryce Alford and Zach LaVine (and whoever the Bruins could possibly reel in on the recruiting trail, but the pickings are slim at this stage).
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UTEP signee Isaac Hamilton admitted to UCLA
Hamilton was a McDonald's All-American during his senior year of high school.
He's ranked 16th nationally in the Class of 2013 by 247Sports.com.
This development was first reported by BruinSportsReport.
Hamilton signed a national letter of intent with UTEP last November but decided over the summer that he'd rather play basketball closer to his home in California because, he said, he wanted to be near his ailing grandmother. But UTEP coach Tim Floyd refused to release Hamilton from the letter of intent, and a waiver to be released from the letter of intent was denied last week. Consequently, Hamilton will not be eligible to play at UCLA this season. His college career will begin in 2014-15.
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