Brad Stevens is the top target of UCLA’s coaching search, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.

Stevens declined comment in a text message to ESPN.

"I'm the coach at Butler," he wrote.

Stevens has been the top target for nearly every major opening over the past couple years.

Temple's Khalif Wyatt has been named the Atlantic-10 Player of the Year.

Joining Wyatt on the All-Conference First Team are Rotnei Clarke of Butler, Dwayne Evans of Saint Louis, La Salle's Ramon Galloway and Chaz Williams of Massachusetts.

Briante Weber of VCU was named Defensive Player of the Year and Semaj Christon of Xavier won Rookie of the Year honors.

The thirty candidates for Naismith Men's College Player of the Year were announced on Tuesday.

Anthony Bennett, UNLV
Jared Berggren, Wisconsin
Trey Burke, Michigan 
Isaiah Canaan, Murray State
Michael Carter-Williams, Syracuse
Ian Clark, Belmont
Rotnei Clarke, Butler
Jack Cooley, Notre Dame
Allen Crabbe, California
Seth Curry, Duke
Matthew Dellavedova, Saint Mary's
Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State
Sean Kilpatrick, Cincinnati
Shane Larkin, Miami
Doug McDermott, Creigton
Rodney McGruder, Kansas State
Ben McLemore, Kansas
Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA
Mike Muscala, Bucknell
Victor Oladipo, Indiana
Kelly Olynyk, Gonzaga
Brandon Paul, Illinois
Mason Plumlee, Duke
Otto Porter, Georgetown
Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State
Russ Smith, Louisville
Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State
Jeff Withey, Kansas
Nate Wolters, South Dakota State
Cody Zeller, Indiana 

Butler gained a commitment from Elijah Brown, a 6-foot-3 guard out of Mater Dei High School in Los Angeles.

Brown chose the Bulldogs over San Diego, St. Mary's, San Francisco and St. Joseph's.

Brown is the son of former Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike Brown.

Rotnei Clarke will miss at least the next two games for Butler, including their highly anticipated matchup against Gonzaga at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Clarke’s return date is indeterminate, although he has improved significantly since his scary fall Saturday at Dayton. The transfer from Arkansas did not practice Monday.

Gonzaga is the highest-ranked opponent to visit the 85-year-old fieldhouse since No. 5 North Carolina, the eventual national champion, won at Butler 103-56 on Dec. 20, 1992.

The 2012-13 Naismith early season watch list was released on Wednesday.

Below is a full list of nominees:

Kyle Anderson, UCLA
Chane Behanan, Louisville
Kenny Boynton, Florida
Lorenzo Brown, NC State
Trey Burke, Michigan
Isaiah Canaan, Murray State
Michael Carter-Williams, Syracuse
Rotnei Clarke, Butler
Jack Cooley, Notre Dame
DJ Cooper, Ohio
Aaron Craft, Ohio State
Matthew Dellavedova, Saint Mary's
Gorgui Dieng, Louisville
Michael Dixon Jr., Missouri
Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State
Tim Frazier, Penn State
Archie Goodwin, Kentucky
Elias Harris, Gonzaga
Pierre Jackson, Cincinnati
CJ Leslie, NC State
Mark Lyons, Arizona
Trevor Mbakwe, Minnesota
James Michael McAdoo, North Carolina
CJ McCollum, Lehigh
Doug McDermott, Creighton
Rodney McGruder, Kansas State
Ben McLemore, Kansas
Tony Mitchell, North Texas
Mike Moser, UNLV
Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA
Nerlens Noel, Kentucky
Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga
Mason Plumlee, Duke
Otto Porter, Georgetown
Alex Poythress, Kentucky
Phil Pressey, Missouri
Andre Roberson, Colorado
Peyton Siva, Louisville
Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State
Michael Snaer, Florida State
Jarnell Stokes, Tennessee
Adonis Thomas, Memphis
Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State
Christian Watford, Indiana
Jeff Withey, Kansas
Nate Wolters, South Dakota State
BJ Young, Arkansas
Patric Young, Florida
Cody Zeller, Indiana 

Darius Thompson will take an official visit to Butler this weekend, according to his coach at Blackman (TN) High School.

“Butler has done a good job of recruiting Darius,” coach Barry Wortman said. “There’s a good comfort level with them as well as Murray State and Middle Tennessee State.”

Thompson, a 6-foot-3 guard, averaged 12.8 points and 6.0 assists last season for Blackman.

“Darius has a high, high basketball IQ,” Wortman said. “A very good feel for the game. Sneaky athletic. He shoots the ball well from 3, can get out on the point, can play off the ball.”

Rene Castro will visit Butler from Oct. 19-20.

The 6-foot-1 Castro was named the 2012 Gatorade Player of the Year in Massachusetts.

Castro is set to visit Duquesne this weekend.

Butler has issued an offer to Alvin Ellis, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard from De La Salle High School in Chicago.

Ellis also has offers from Kansas State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Tennessee and Wichita State.

Butler has two scholarships available in the 2013 class.

Chrishawn Hopkins has been dismissed from the Butler basketball program.

Hopkins averaged 9.1 points over 37 games last season, including 24 as a starter.

In a statement, coach Brad Stevens said: “We consider it a privilege to represent Butler University as a member of our team. With that privilege, comes a requirement and responsibility to meet the standard of our team rules. Dismissal is the consequence of failure to do so.”