National Letter of Intent committee denies Isaac Hamilton’s appeal to be released from UTEP

Star basketball recruit Isaac Hamilton’s appeal to the National Letter of Intent committee to be released from UTEP was denied, according to UTEP Athletics spokesman Jeff Darby.

“We still consider the University of Texas at El Paso to be his best option when you weigh risk versus reward,” UTEP coach Tim Floyd said in a statement Friday. “Hopefully he will understand that he has until Tuesday to enroll, and he would be welcome with open arms. We still believe he made his decision to come here for the right reasons.”

The NLI denial means Hamilton cannot receive a scholarship for the 2013-14 season other than from UTEP.

Hamilton asked UTEP to be released from his NLI after he said he wanted to be closer to home to be with his ailing grandmother. UTEP denied the request.

Hamilton filed a formal appeal with the NLI in mid-August and UTEP sent it’s response within 10 days. The NLI told ABC-7 in the past that the process can take up to six to eight weeks.

Floyd told the Los Angeles Times in July that Hamilton wants to attend USC so he can be closer to his ill grandmother.

Greg Hamilton told ESPN.com’s Andy Katz his son will pursue finding a school, preferrably a Pac-12 school in the Los Angeles area.

“We will get him in school and enroll him,” said Greg Hamilton, who added that Isaac has been at home during this process. “We know he’ll have several opportunities. We want it to be in the Pac-12 so his mother can see him play, since she is the primary caretaker for his grandmother. … Even though he won’t be able to play yet, he will start his college career academically. With UTEP, that’s a wrap. We’re done.”

Hamilton was taken off of UTEP’s roster on its website recently and was not mentioned in a recent UTEP news release about its schedule which did tout other top Miner recruits.

Floyd told the LA Times earlier this summer that Hamilton wants to attend USC so he can be closer to his ill grandmother.

Hamilton texted SNY.tv after the LA Times story ran this summer and said, “Right now I’m not really looking into schools. Just been out here taking care of my grandma.”

Hamilton had tweeted on July 11 why he was not in El Paso.

“To all Utep fans my grandmother is ill and I’m dealing with a death in the family that’s why I haven’t made it yet,” Hamilton tweeted.

UTEP senior center John Bohannon, on his since-deleted Twitter account, tweeted to Hamilton this weekend after the LA Times story came out.

“nothing but support for ya my boy I was in a similar situation outta HS..hmu if you need to talk about it,” Bohannon tweeted to Hamilton.

Hamilton tweeted back to Bohannon, “thanks bro means a lot, I really do appreciate that.”