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.

Shaka Smart turned down an opportunity to coach UCLA and instead signed a contract extension with Virginia Commonwealth, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation.

Smart’s extension will run through 2023 and pay him approximately $1.5 million annually, a 25 percent increase from his previous salary.

Smart, 35, was pursued by Illinois last season and North Carolina State two years ago.

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.

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.

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.”

ShawnDre' Jones, a 5-foot-10 guard out of Bush (VA) High School, committed to Richmond.

"I felt like I would be a great fit," said Jones, who averaged 12 points and 5.6 assists as a junior. "The academics are great. A degree from Richmond is very prestigious."

Jones seriously considered South Alabama and Akron before settling on the Spiders.

Nigel Johnson, a 6-foot-1 guard out of Riverdale Baptist (WA) High School, orally committed to George Washington.

“Coach (Mike) Lonergan likes playing three guards and felt like I could come in and make an immediate impact for them,” Johnson said. “He believes that you win with guard play.

“It just felt like it was a good fit for me.”

Johnson had offers from Bucknell, Cornell, William & Mary, Northwestern, Brown, Princeton, Lehigh, Robert Morris, Delaware, Drexel, UNC Greensboro, Florida International and Quinnipiac

Richmond picked up a commitment Josh Jones, a 6-foot-4 guard out of Memphis, Tenn.

Jones said he also considered VCU, New Mexico State, Saint Louis, Southern Illinois and Murray State.

"I feel real comfortable with (UR's playing) style, and when I visited, I got along real well with everybody," he said.

Chris Thomas has reopened his recruitment after pledging to Xavier six months ago.

A 6-foot-5 guard, Thomas has drawn interest from several schools, including Missouri, Iowa State and Seton Hall.

Thomas is considered one of the top scoring guards in the class of 2013.

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.