Mom Says Hamilton Staying at UConn

Daniel Hamilton isn't transferring or leaving for the NBA.

Daniel Hamilton averaged 10.9 points per game as a freshman and earned AAC All-Rookie Team honors. He was arguably the Huskies second-best player after Ryan Boatright, and certainly one of the most consistent.

The strong season was enough for some people to speculate if Hamilton might be one and done, leaving college for the NBA after just one year. But the versatile 6-7 forward is staying at UConn, according to his mother.

"He'll be going back to school," Karen Hamilton told the New Haven Register.

"He's definitely happy," she continued. "He wants the opportunity to continue to get better. He wants to concentrate on his studies. Those are the types of things that we care about."

Hamilton recently lost his grandmother, which was complicated by the fact that his family is across the country in Los Angeles. But neither the NBA or another program closer to home are considerations for Hamilton.

"We've been on the phone every night," Karen said. "I keep telling him, (take) one day at a time."

Meanwhile, staying in Storrs is an opportunity for Hamilton to grow on and off the court.

"It's the mental toughness and things you have to deal with," Karen said. "It's not just basketball, it's maturing. When you're in a college setting ... we're talking about the difference between going to school and being in the pros. You can do what you need to do and get better either way, but you can't get your college experience back."

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