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.

Alec Peters, a 6-foot-7 forward out of Washington (Ill.), announced his verbal commitment to Valparaiso.

“I’ve always had a great relationship with the coaching staff, and I developed a great bond when I had the chance to visit the campus and meet with them,” Peters said. “Being a part of the campus environment was unbelievable. The school was great, and I’m excited to be there for the next four years.”

Peters had 25 scholarship offers, including Butler, Utah and Tennessee.

“I definitely feel like there is a huge weight lifted off my shoulders,” Peters said. “There is no difference between a high-major and a mid-major. If you look at the Final Four recently, you’ll see that anyone has a good chance. There have been some mid-major teams. Valpo is going to be a great team, and I’m excited to join them.”

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.”

Former Kansas guard Milton Doyle has decided to attend Loyola Chicago.

Doyle will sit out this season, per NCAA transfer rules, and then have four years of eligibility remaining.