There are very few sure things in college basketball recruiting. And in some cases there is risk.
DePaul landed the quintessential high-risk, high-reward recruit as former highly-regarded prospect Tommy Hamilton committed to coach Oliver Purnell.
The 6-9, 260-pound senior was once among the top 10 prospects nationally in the Class of 2013. He came into high school with an enormous amount of buzz as Hamilton was a part of the “Big Three” in Chicago nearly four years ago, along with Jabari Parker and Alex Foster were coveted youngsters heading into their freshman year of high school.
Hamilton saw limited time at Whitney Young during his three years playing for the Public League power, due to various issues, including plenty of injury problems. Hamilton plummeted in the national rankings and interest from high-major programs began to subside. He then spent his senior year at IMG Academy in Florida this past season, working himself back into shape and gaining valuable playing time and experience.
Always blessed with a combination of size and skill — Hamilton can step out and knock down a three-pointer with a feathery touch and is an extremely skilled passer for a big man — the productivity has never caught up to the potential. Plus, there have always been questions and concerns about intensity, motivation and conditioning.
But make no mistake about it, Hamilton possesses an impressive package of talent if a coaching staff can tap into it and trigger a sense of urgency. He still has the size, solid footwork, soft hands and skill that made him so intriguing as a young player. How bad Hamilton wants it will ultimately dictate the level of success he has at DePaul.
Hamilton joins a DePaul recruiting class that is highlighted by Morgan Park point guard Billy Garrett, Jr. and also includes 6-4 shooting guard R.J. Currington of Oak Hill Academy in Virginia and a pair of junior college big men in 6-9 Greg Sequele and 6-10 Forrest Robinson.
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