Isaac Hamilton’s appeal denied, will sit out season

The limbo ended, but not in the way UCLA had hoped.

Five-star guard Isaac Hamilton’s appeal to play immediately has been denied, the school announced Thursday. The former St. John Bosco standout will sit out the 2013-14 season and play the following year as a sophomore.

Originally signed with UTEP, Hamilton broke his national letter of intent and instead enrolled at UCLA. He loses a year of eligibility for reneging on his NLI, but is allowed to continue practicing with the team.

UTEP coach Tim Floyd had refused to release Hamilton from his letter of intent, and accused USC coach Andy Enfield of tampering. Hamilton had cited a desire to play closer to home, in front of his ailing grandmother. His brother Daniel, however, is committed to UConn.

Rated as Rival.com’s 14th-best player in the 2013 class, the McDonald’s All-American will join what could be a very talented Bruins lineup in 2014. Five-star power forward Kevon Looney committed to UCLA earlier today, while talented swingman Jordan Adams could also return to school as a junior.

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Clarification: Wanaah Bail’s successful appeal to play immediately was made to the NCAA, and was treated more like a transfer. Hamilton’s appeal was made to the NLI committee, since he had broken his letter of intent without ever going to UTEP.