Tim Floyd Claims Tampering with Isaac Hamilton

Interesting comments from former USC coach Tim Floyd...

"The trigger was him talking to USC," said Greg Hamilton, who added that O'Neill's perilous job status eliminated the Trojans last fall. "That gave Isaac's grandmother hope that he was going to go to USC. Isaac said he had never been able to give his grandmother anything and wants her to see him play. Yes, USC is 1.8 miles from our house. It would be the ideal school.

"But we haven't talked to USC and don't have a formal offer from any other university. We haven't discussed this with anybody. Yes, he could go to Long Beach State, Loyola, Northridge, Fullerton, any school around here, but preferably USC or UCLA."

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.

He said he was told Isaac wanted to work out with his brother, Jordan, "and it was at USC."

"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.

First, this isn't the first time that Tim Floyd has "spoken with" another program while currently under contract. We all remember Floyd talking to Arizona while he was at USC.

Maybe Haden did reach out to Floyd, but I am sure that once Floyd had Haden on the phone he was angling for the USC job.

I can see where Floyd would use the conversation to "clear his name"...I mean getting the USC job would be the ultimate clearance, but you take what you can get.

Coaches have had no problem pulling up stakes when a better deal comes along so we should not be surprised that players are starting to do the same thing.

Here is a thought though.

Floyd calling out Andy Enfield in this piece is interesting. We all know college basketball is a dirty business, but we have never anything about Andy Enfield that would indicate he operates on Floyd's level of scourge.

Of course, anything is possible.

It would not surprise me if Floyd called out Enfield because he didn't get the USC job. Why help USC? I think we are pretty secure in knowing that Floyd wanted the job. Floyd might be trying to shame Enfield to pass on Hamilton if he becomes available just to keep Enfield's squeaky clean image going.

Floyd has some balls though, claiming the damage was done. Especially after his dance with UA and the way he ran players off when they became disposable in his eyes.

I think Enfield should go for it...on principle!

There are certain things that I am will to support Tim Floyd over with regards to the NCAA. I don't have a problem if Floyd won't release Hamilton. Hamilton should have done his homework, you sign a contract you need to stick with it or face the consequences, but Floyd has enough of a history of being less than honorable with players when he was at USC, so to me turnabout is fair play.

I think we have our answer as why it was a good idea not to experience Floyd 2.0.

I am even more surprised that Haden even reached out.