sentences:  He was a high school teammate of Rashard Griffith (the 38th pick in the 1995 NBA draft) and the pair led their school to the 1993 Illinois State Basketball Championship.The 7-foot, 2-inch, 330-pound center signed a letter of intent to play for Lou Henson at the University of Illinois, but was not academically eligible, and ultimately attended the University of Pittsburgh, though he did not play on the basketball team.In fact, Hamilton had never played basketball professionally (or in college) prior to the 1995–96 NBA season.