Isaac Hamilton was an All-American player at St. John Bosco High. (Patrick T. Fallon / For the Times /March 2, 2013)
By Diane PucinThe Los Angeles Times
September 26, 2013, 7:41 p.m.
Isaac Hamilton, a college freshman who starred at Bellflower St. John Bosco High, is attending classes at UCLA and has accepted a basketball scholarship, the school announced Friday.
Hamilton, a guard, signed a letter of intent with Texas El Paso but tried to get a release from that commitment this summer. UTEP Coach Tim Floyd denied Hamilton’s request and an appeal by Hamilton to the National Letter of Intent Committee also failed.
Hamilton has now appealed again, his father, Greg, said.
If the appeal is approved, Hamilton could play for UCLA in the upcoming season. If it is denied, he would have to sit out a season.
In a statement, UCLA Coach Steve Alford said, "We are very excited to welcome Isaac to the Bruin family. He comes from a great family, a strong high school program here in Los Angeles and had an exceptional career as a McDonald's All-American. He is a big, versatile guard and will fit well with our system of play."
As a senior at St. John Bosco, Hamilton averaged 23.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.1 steals a game to help the Braves reach the Southern Section Division 3A championship game.
Hamilton said in his appeal that he wanted to play nearer to home because his grandmother is ill.
LOS ANGELES – UCLA men’s basketball Head Coach Steve Alford announced today the signing of Isaac Hamilton, a 6-foot-5 freshman guard from Los Angeles.
A graduate of St. John Bosco High School (Bellflower, Calif.) in 2013, Hamilton began his fall quarter classes and signed a scholarship offer from UCLA on Thursday.
“We are very excited to welcome Isaac to the Bruin family,” Alford said. “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. We are excited he is a Bruin today.”
Hamilton is rated nationally by Rivals.com as the No. 14 overall player in his high school class and the No. 3 shooting guard. He is ranked the No. 32 overall player in his class by ESPN.com.
“It’s hard to put into words how happy I am to be part of the UCLA basketball program,” Hamilton said. “UCLA is one the elite schools in the country and it is an honor to be a Bruin. I am excited to start classes today and I can’t wait to practice with my teammates and ultimately compete with them for Coach Alford.”
As a senior, Hamilton averaged 23.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.1 steals per game, earned McDonald’s All-America honors and helped guide St. John Bosco to the CIF Southern Section Division III-A title in 2013. As a junior, Hamilton captured all-state honors from Cal-Hi Sports after averaging 24.3 points, 9.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists and helping the Braves advance to the CIF-SS Division III-A regional final.
Isaac Hamilton of St. John Bosco shoots between Andrew Wiggins, left, and Demetrius Jackson during the 2013 McDonald’s All American game in April at United Center in Chicago. UCLA announced Hamilton has officially signed with the Bruins, but he is appealing his right to play this season, Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Steve Alford’s splashiest recruiting move yet became official this week, as UCLA officially announced the signing of five-star guard Isaac Hamilton.
Ranked as Rivals.com’s No. 14 player in the 2013 class, the St. John Bosco standout averaged 23.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists last season en route to a CIF division title.
The Bruins announced that the McDonald’s All-American signed a scholarship offer Thursday, UCLA’s first day of classes.
“Isaac is a big, versatile guard and will fit well with our system of play,” Alford said in a statement. “We are excited he is a Bruin today.”
Whether or not he’ll contribute this upcoming season is still unclear. After breaking his letter of intent with UTEP, Hamilton is currently appealing for a chance to play immediately. If that isn’t granted, he will have to sit out the 2013-14 season.
The former Miners signee asked out of his commitment earlier this summer, citing a desire to be closer to his ailing grandmother in Los Angeles. UTEP coach Tim Floyd refused to release the guard from his letter of intent this summer, and accused USC coach Andy Enfield of tampering with his recruit. The National Letter of Intent committee denied Hamilton’s first request for a release earlier this month.
Undeterred, Hamilton enrolled at UCLA earlier this month.
“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 today and I can’t wait to practice with my teammates and ultimately compete with them for Coach Alford.”
His father, Greg, told the El Paso Times that the family has hired an attorney to help them explore appeal options.
The eligibility of another Alford recruit, Wanaah Bail, is also in question. Bail originally committed to Texas Tech in 2012, but left that summer and has yet to play college basketball elswhere. The athletic 6-foot-9 forward was ranked No. 115 nationally in 2012 by Rivals.com.
Bryce Alford 2013-14 Freshman PG/SG 6-3 180 Hometown: Albuquerque, N.M. High School: La Cueva HS Sr Year Stats (2012-13): 37.7 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 6.4 apg and 2.6 spg
High School
Four-year varsity basketball letterwinner at La Cueva High School (Albuquerque, N.M.) under head coach Frank Castillo … finished his high school career as New Mexico’s all-time single-season basketball scoring leader, totaling 1,050 points at La Cueva … eclipsed the previous New Mexico state record of 1,033 points set by 7-foot Nick Pino of Santa Fe St. Michael’s in 1963 … finished his high school career having scored 2,479 points … as a senior (2012-13), averaged 37.7 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 6.4 apg and 2.6 spg in leading La Cueva to a 22-6 overall record and appearance in the Class 5A quarterfinals … was named the 2013 Gatorade Player of the Year for New Mexico … secured Albuquerque Metro Player of the Year honors as a junior and senior … named the New Mexico Hall of Fame’s 2013 Male Athlete of the Year … also was named New Mexico “Mr. Basketball” by NMPreps.com in 2013 … as a junior (2011-12), averaged 24.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 5.2 apg and 2.0 spg … led La Cueva to the Class 5A state title game as a junior and to the state championship as a freshman (2009-10) … set La Cueva’s single-game scoring record on multiple occasions, scoring a career-high 52 points in a game against Eldorado on Feb. 19, 2013 ... also had a season-high 44 points in one game as a junior … off the court, has volunteered locally on behalf of the Special Olympics, the Ronald McDonald House Charities and as a youth basketball coach.
USA Basketball
Participated in the USA Basketball Men’s U19 World Championship team training camp June 14-16 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Was cut from the final 12-man team roster. The final 6 guards included Michael Frazier (Florida), Elfrid Payton (Louisiana), James Robinson (Pitt), Marcus Smart (Ok State), Rasheed Sulaimon (Duke), and G/SF Nigel William-Goss (Washington). link
Personal
Full name: Bryce Alford … born Jan. 18, 1995 … Bryce is the middle of Steve and Tanya Alford’s three children … father, Steve, serves as UCLA’s head coach … older brother, Kory, is a teammate at UCLA … has one younger sister, Kayla … undeclared major.
Not to be outdone, another So Cal guard for 2015. Tyler Dorsey SG 6-4 180 Bellflower, CA/St. John Bosco ESPN profile link
Big THANK YOU'S go to the folks who posted these great videos on You Tube. Just sharing the sugar. Hope it's OK. Check out two other 2015 guards Aaron Holiday and Marcus Lovett Jr. link
Aaron Holiday 6-0 170 PG/SG N. Hollywood, CA/Campbell Hall (ESPN profile link) Marcus LoVett Jr. 5-11 160 PG Garden Grove, CA/San Gabriel Academy (ESPN profile link) Holiday v. LoVett vids
Holiday vids
LoVett vids
Big THANK YOU'S go to the folks who posted these great videos on You Tube. Just sharing the sugar. Hope it's OK. Check out another 2015 guard target Tyler Dorsey (Bellflower, CA/St. John Bosco) link
If nothing else, Justise Winslow is going to see a lot of high-profile football games this fall.
The 6-foot-6 Houston St. John’s wing visited Texas A&M last weekend for Johnny Football’s big showdown with Alabama, and he will take an official visit to Florida this coming weekend when the Gators host Tennessee in an SEC tilt.
The following weekend Winslow will take an official to UCLA, though there isn’t any football on campus that weekend.
“We went to Texas A&M last weekend and this weekend we’re going to Florida,” Robin Davis,Winslow’s mother, told SNY.tv by phone Wednesday night.
“We’re just taking it one weekend at a time. I just want him to enjoy his high school, that’s one of the most important things for me right now, for him to have fun.”
Winslow is currently considering eight schools in Duke, Florida, Kentucky, Kansas, Texas A&M, Arizona, UCLA and Stanford. He told SNY.tv at the Elite 24 that it would be tough to cut three of them, and he has yet to cut his list.
“It’s hard, the whole process has been hard, but it’s something I gotta do just to move forward so I can get closer to making a decision,” he said. “It’s hard, but it’s something I gotta do.”
Last week the family hosted UCLA, Duke, Arizona, Kansas, Florida and Texas A&M in for home visits, but not Kentucky or Stanford.
His mother said they are planning to visit Duke, Arizona, Stanford and Kansas in October, though she was not certain of the dates.
“I don’t know how the last three are going to play itself out,” she said. “I don’t know who’s going to get the unofficial. I don’t know how we’re going to do that.”
Asked if Kentucky — which offered Winslow this summer — was still in the mix, Robin said: “I don’t know honestly if Justise is considering Kentucky. I don’t know if he has been in contact with Kentucky.”
Davis said Winslow was supposed to attend the recent Kentucky Alumni game, but she wanted him to enjoy his last few weeks of summer as a high school student.
“I wanted him to relax, to get acclimated to school and have fun,” she said. “Justise was non-stop the entire summer. No time to have fun and be a kid.”
Winslow and Mater Dei (Calif.) wing Stanley Johnsontalked about packaging together — possibly at Arizona, Florida or Kentucky — but Davis said she wasn’t sure if that would materialize.
(SF/PG Stanley Johnson Santa Ana/Mater Dei recently dropped UCLA from his short list [link] - Atb)
“I think what happens is when they go to these camps and they’re in the same room and they start talking, I’m sure in their perfect world it will happen,” Davis said. “Stanley used to play with Justise in the sixth grade here in Houston. His mom used to fly him in and they established a relationship then.
“But I think everyone is looking for something different and hoping that they’ll have a friend join them.”
Davis said she’s looking more to establish a personal connection with the coaching staffs as her son moves toward a decision.
“With Justise’s choices, he can’t make a bad choice so we approach our visits more on the comfort level,” she said. “I look at it as basketball is going to take care of itself….But are you going to take care of my son? It’s more of a comfort that way for me. That’s where our visits are now, because how many times can you tell me this is where you’re going to play him?
“It’s more on the personal side. Our A&M visit was pretty relaxed, it was very pleasant. It was about basketball and academics, don’t get me wrong, but it was more on the relaxed side.”
UCLA sophomore Kyle Anderson and his family have decided that this will likely be his final season in college.
"Kyle has made great strides in his mental approach to the game and his work ethic since being at UCLA," his father, Kyle Anderson Sr., told ESPN.com. "The major deficiencies in his overall game are his lack of strength, quickness and explosion, and inconsistent shooting. We feel that both of which can be addressed more efficiently with more time and repetition. It's more than likely that it will be time for Kyle to move on at the end of this college season."
Anderson played primarily off the ball last season for then-coach Ben Howland and averaged 9.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists. Multiple NBA executives told ESPN.com that Anderson -- who strongly considered leaving -- would have likely been selected somewhere in the first half of the second round had he departed college after last year.
The 2014 draft is much stronger, especially at the top. However, the 6-foot-9 New Jersey native is expected to play more at the point under new coach Steve Alford, although there's some uncertainty in that regard with freshman Bryce Alford -- Steve's son -- joining the team over the summer.
Anderson is a terrific passer whose athleticism, perimeter shot and ability to defend have been questioned. However, his distributing ability was masked last season as Howland decided to put the ball in Larry Drew II's hands much of the time.
Oklahoma State point guard Marcus Smart, who decided to return to Oklahoma State despite being a near-lock lottery pick, also has made it clear that, barring injury, he won't be returning beyond this season.
The season hasn’t started, but we’ve had another player announce his intentions to turn pro after the season.
Kyle Anderson’s father all but told ESPN’s Jeff Goodman that he will be heading to the NBA after the season. Both Marcus Smart and Jahii Carson made similar statements already this offseason.
“It’s more than likely that it will be time for Kyle to move on at the end of this college season,” he said.
Anderson is a slow-footed but extremely talented 6-foot-9 point forward. He averaged 9.7 points, 8.6 boards, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals as a freshman, but he did much of it while playing off the ball and somewhat out of position. Anderson, who was a top three recruit in the Class of 2012, ended up returning to school for his sophomore season. He considered entering the draft, but he was a long way from being a lock to go in the first round.
“Kyle has made great strides in his mental approach to the game and his work ethic since being at UCLA,” Kyle Sr. told ESPN.com. “The major deficiencies in his overall game are his lack of strength, quickness and explosion, and inconsistent shooting. … We feel that both of which can be addressed more efficiently with more time and repetition.”
Where Anderson’s season gets really intriguing is that under new UCLA coach Steve Alford, he could end up being the Bruin’s point guard given the lack of a lead guard on their roster. Anderson is a talented creator, but with Larry Drew II shouldering the point guard load last year, it forced Anderson off the ball. He proved himself to be a better rebounder and playmaker defensively than some expected, but that’s not the strength of his game.
Anderson is currently projected as a late-second round pick by Draft Express. It will be interesting to see where he is slotted if he has a big year.
Something has always stood in the way. For decades, it was John Wooden's unapproachable dominance. For just as long, it was USC's inability to care about basketball. In recent years, even the Trojans' most engaged hoops moments -- a flashy new arena, the inspired hiring of Rick Majerus, apparent recruiting momentum under Tim Floyd -- have almost always fallen flat.
Majerus, who passed away in 2012, withdrew from the job after five days, citing his already flagging health (and, later, his mother's disapproval of the distance). Floyd's greatest recruiting success, landing star O.J. Mayo out of the ether, wassubsumed by accusations that he hand-delivered an envelope of money to a Mayo handler; he resigned while under NCAA investigation in 2009. (Eventually, the NCAA ruling forced USC to vacate the 2007-08 season … during which USC won all of 21 games. If you have to vacate a season in which you won fewer than 30 games, you are doing it wrong.) Then came the Kevin O'Neill era, about which the less said the better.
Of course, it has not been the most enjoyable era of UCLA basketball, either. Sure, while USC was hiring and then not-hiring Majerus (and how different this story could have been had he taken the job) the Bruins went to three straight Final Fours under Ben Howland. But Howland lost control of his program soon after. George Dohrmann's famous Sports Illustrated piece ("Special Report: Not the UCLA Way," which is now every sports information director's go-to cold sweat nightmare) spelled impending doom, and one last-ditch recruiting class couldn't save the day.
This spring, UCLA fired Howland and hired New Mexico coach Steve Alford. That didn't go so well, either. It did, however, coincide nicely with USC's hiring of Florida Gulf Coast coach Andy Enfield.
A UCLA program brought low. A USC program with an aggressive, exciting young coach with nothing to lose. A great modern leveling has put both programs in places they aren't particularly accustomed to: recruiting against each other.
This competitive dynamic has been playing out in gyms and over text messages all summer, but it took until September for the first public salvos to be fired. On Sept. 2, Indianapolis native and top-50 2014 wing Trevon Bluitt committed to UCLA, the first proof of Alford's concept that his Indiana connections would give the Bruins a pipeline in the midwest. (Alford hired Bluiett's former high school coach, Ed Schilling, as an assistant.) Bluiett committed after a visit he shared with Louisville decommit and the No. 7-ranked 2014 point guard, Quentin Snider, whom analysts predicted would sign with UCLA.
Recruiting is a constantly shifting mass of causes and effects, actions and reactions. On Wednesday, Jordan McLaughlin, the No. 18 player in the ESPN 100, committed to USC. McLaughlin, who attended Etiwanda High in San Bernandino, Calif., was long considered a favorite to select UCLA. But the firing of Howland at UCLA and hiring of Enfield at USC -- and Enfield's ability to sell McLaughlin on a roll as his flashy uptempo distributor and, yes, UCLA's increased focus on Snider -- convinced the highly-touted point guard to choose the Trojans instead.
Victor Decolongon/Getty ImagesNew USC coach Andy Enfield and the Trojans added point guard Jordan McLaughlin, the No. 18 player in the ESPN 100, this week.
This is where things get especially confusing. Hamilton, you see, was the prize of UTEP's 2013 class. UTEP, as you may know, is coached by Tim Floyd. This summer, Hamilton had second thoughts about his letter of intent -- his family said he wanted to stay closer to home, wanted his ailing grandmother to be able to see him play. They were also "triggered," Hamilton's father said, by rumors that Floyd could return to USC. (For some reason, USC AD Pat Haden had called Floyd about the USC job. Your guess is as good as mine.)
Floyd is suspicious. He said he was called by two Pac-12 coaches and one WCC head coach saying Isaac was going to get out of his NLI. He called new USC coach Andy Enfield and told him to back off of Hamilton and said on June 4 he got a text from the Hamiltons saying that Isaac wasn't going to go to the first summer session and was concerned about what that would mean. […]
"I called Andy Enfield and he told me he's not taking Isaac Hamilton, that 'we're out of that.' But I told him the damage had already been done," Floyd said.
As recently as last week, Floyd was sticking to his guns.
"I'm sorry his grandmother is having health problems," Floyd said in July. "But what I'm doing, I'm doing for UTEP and for everyone else. The NLI is in place so you can field a team. Young people don't have to sign a national letter of intent. You can sign a scholarship paper. The policy is in place to protect the institutions after they've spent all this money in recruiting and built their schedule around and turned down other players."
Floyd's refusal to let Hamilton out of his NLI doesn't mean he can't play somewhere else. But it does mean he has to wait a season to play, and pay tuition while doing so. Which meant that a former USC coach was preventing a would-be USC player from playing at the school because he, the old USC coach, thought a new USC coach had been tampering. See? Confusing.
Even more confusing? After all that, Hamilton didn't even choose USC. He chose UCLA. From Jeff Goodman's report:
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.
Causes and effects, actions and reactions. Elite recruits from California choosing between USC and UCLA; allegations of tampering leveled at a school that didn't even get the player they allegedly tampered with.
I think this means it's official. Begun, the SoCal recruiting war has. It's about time.
(With apologies to MSU Coach Tom Izzo. But I care more about UCLA than MSU.)
Coach Steve Alford is 0-for-3 so far. First was Josh Perkins, who chose Gonzaga. Next was Jordan McLaughlin, who decided to go to crosstown rival USC on Wednesday. The final straw came on Thursday, when former Louisville commit Quentin Snider announced he was heading to Illinois.
Tyler Ulis is announcing his college decision on Friday evening, and all signs point to the 5-foot-8 Marian Catholic (Ill.) product choosing Kentucky over Michigan State and Iowa.
Once Ulis makes his pick, only two of the top 25 point guards in the 247Sports Composite rankings will still be on the board. Considering one of them is Tyus Jones, who has been a strong Duke lean for a long time, and the pickings are getting very slim at the point guard position.
Of course, most teams have already figured it out for the 2014-15 season. But schools like SMU, Gonzaga, USC and Illinois all landing top 10 point guards have thrown some wrenches into the usual pecking order for high-level recruits. While that's fun for observers, it has left some big-name schools in trouble at point guard.
One of those schools was UCLA, which missed out on its top three point guard targets in the past month. First was Josh Perkins, who chose Gonzaga. Next was Jordan McLaughlin, who decided to go to crosstown rival USC on Wednesday. The final straw came on Thursday, when former Louisville commit Quentin Snider announced he was heading to Illinois. The knife was twisted a little bit more when Snider said that he wanted to commit to UCLA after visiting Westwood – but Illinois changed his mind on his trip to Champaign.
The Bruins didn't necessarily have a contingency plan in the class of 2014, as there simply wasn't a plan D for a point guard recruit. However, they made a big move on Friday – enrolling former UTEP signee Isaac Hamilton. Hamilton was expected to play for the Miners, but he wanted to move closer to home. UTEP wouldn't let him out of his letter of intent, so Hamilton will sit out the 2013-14 season and suit up for the Bruins next season. He's more of a scorer, but he's capable of handling the ball and igniting an offense.
The biggest name with a need for a point guard is Michigan State, which struck out with Snider on Thursday – and is also planning to miss on Ulis when he decides on Friday. Next up for the Spartans seems to be Lourawls Nairn, who is taking an official visit to East Lansing this weekend. Minnesota, Indiana and others are also in the mix for “Tum Tum.” If Michigan State was to miss out on Nairn, Tom Izzo would be in serious trouble. Keith Appling is gone after the 2013-14 season, so he needs someone.
After the Spartans, there's Connecticut, which has also missed out on its main point guard targets. This week wasn't good for the Huskies, who saw Devin Watson go to Oregon State and Snider commit to Illinois before a scheduled in-home visit with UConn head coach Kevin Ollie. It seems like the next option for Ollie is junior college transfer Jeff Newberry. The second-year head coach went to see Newberry on Thursday, and the Huskies are on Newberry's list of five, which also includes: LSU, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.
There are a couple of options out there for teams in major need, though. Alex Robinson is the best non-Tyus Jones point guard left on the board, and he's officially visiting Texas A&M this weekend. He's already taken an official trip to Vanderbilt, and Memphis, Pittsburgh, TCU and Florida State are also on his list. Expect his phone to blow up.
Junior college prospect Josh Gray might be the most coveted guard in the JC ranks. He's officially visiting Florida State this weekend, and the Seminoles could make an effort to close the deal early.
Then there's Dante Exum. The future lottery pick from Australia might not go to college at all – but if he does, he will have no shortage of options. Indiana, North Carolina, Kentucky, Michigan and Oregon are on his list.
If some schools in need don't wrap up a point guard by November, expect the stock of several mid-level lead guards to skyrocket in the spring. There are more schools looking than there are available high-major prospects – it's supply and demand.
And right now, the demand for certain schools is high – and will only increase as we progress toward the early signing period.
Update: Tyler Ulis did end up choosing Kentucky. Boo-hoo for you, Coach Izzo.
UCLA is set to add highly rated former UTEP signee Isaac Hamilton, sources confirmed to 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.
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).
UTEP signee Isaac Hamilton has been admitted to UCLA and will eventually become a part of Steve Alford's program, a source confirmed to CBSSports.com on Friday.
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.
If nothing else, Justise Winslow is going to see a lot of high-profile football games this fall.
Majerus, who passed away in 2012, withdrew from the job after five days, citing his already flagging health (and, later, 
