by Alex Schwartz

Here is a quick rundown of some of the high school hoops news of late. This includes everything from commitments and decommitments to school lists, some interesting links, state champions and more

- Rockdale County (GA) star Kevin Ware, the #86 ranked player in the NBE Post-Summer Class of 2011 Top 150, has received a release from his Letter of Intent to Tennessee, per multiple reports. The 6'4 shooting guard is now the fourth highest ranked uncommitted player in the nation. Rivals' Jerry Meyer reported that Ware is now considering  Alabama, Central Florida, Georgetown, Georgia, Louisville, South Carolina, UCLA, and Virginia along with Tennessee. Watch out for Louisville in this one.

- Another one of the top several uncommitted players in the nation is 6'5 small forward Josh Richarson of Edmond Santa Fe (OK), the #122 ranked player in the NBE Post-Summer Class of 2011 Top 150. According to Jerry Meyer, the Sooner State wing has five schools on his list: Georgia Tech, Oklahoma, Penn State, TCU, and Tennessee. Meyer writes that OU has yet to offer a scholarship to Richardson.

- Kevin Ware is not the only player who received a release from his LOI recently. Anthony Odunsi, a 6'4 shooting guard from Travis (TX) who had signed with Iowa State is back on the market. The news of Odunsi's decision and subsequent release comes from TexasHoops.com. ISU signed four players in the early period, but will only be bringing two of them to Ames for the 2011-12 season, as Elgin Cook of Hamilton (WI) is going to prep school for a year.

- Three players who will reportedly not be asking for releases from their LOIs are Arkansas-signee BJ Young of McCluer North (MO), Georgia Tech-signee Julian Royal of Milton (GA) and North Carolina State-signee Tyler Harris of St. Benedict's (NJ). Young, a 6'2 point guard ranked #13 in the NBE Post-Summer Class of 2011 Top 150, remains committed to the Razorbacks according to Scout's Arkansas affiliate, HawgsIllustrated.com. Royal, a 6'7 power forward ranked #55, is sticking with the Yellow Jackets and new head coach Brian Gregory, per multiple reports. Harris, a 6'8 small forward ranked #130, still plans to attend NC State, per ZagsBlog.

- A pair of 2012 prospects who were impacted by recent coaching changes have said publicly that they plan to stand by their commitment. Scout's Evan Daniels reported that 5'10 point guard Tyler Lewis of Forsyth Country Day (NC) would remain committed to the Wolpfack, and that was even before a coach was hired. CaneSport.com, the Miami affiliate of Rivals, spoke with 6'9 center Ismaila Dauda of Grandview Prep (FL) and learned that he was going to stick with the Hurricanes despite the coaching change. For more on Miami's other 2012 commit, 6'3 shooting guard Chris Bolden of Norcross (GA), read my article Here.

- Another 2012 prospect who has decommitted, per Alex Kline of The Recruit Scoop, is 6'9 center Richard Peters of Westwind Prep (AZ).  Peters had been committed to Oklahoma for quite some time, but the Sooners have gone through a coaching change and the big man from Canada is no longer bound for Norman. According to Scout's Washington affiliate, Dawgman.com, there is a chance that Peters may end up in the class of 2011 wherever he ends up, which may well be Washington.

- According to the BobGibbonshoops Twitter account, 6'10 center Jaleel Roberts of Greensboro Day (NC) has pledged to UNC-Asheville. He is a nice late pickup for the Big South program.

- DePaul landed a superb early commitment from 6'4 point guard Billy Garrett, Jr. of Morgan Park (IL). ESPN's Dave Telep tweeted that it was ESPN Chicago reporter Scott Powers who had the story on Garrett, whose father is an assistant coach at DePaul.

- The Seattle Times reported that Andrew Andrews, a 6'1 point guard from Benson (OR), will be enrolling at Washington as a part of the 2011 class. The original plan was for Andrews to go to prep school for a year and join the Huskies for the 2012-13 season, but Isaiah Thomas' decision to enter the NBA Draft seems to have changed that.

- Montrose Christian (MD) beat Oak Hill Academy (VA) in double overtime to win the 2011 ESPNRise National High School Invitational championship. Behind the play of Villanova-signee Tyrone Johnson, the Mustangs came back from a late deficit to force OT and then won it in the second session of extra time. This was the second time this season that Montrose beat OHA in double OT. With the win, Montrose becomes the first school besides Findlay Prep (NV) to win the NHSI in its three-year history. In addition, it closes the book on the 2010-11 high school basketball season. I will have my final top 25 out in the next few days.

- The East squad beat the West squad, 111-96, in the 2011 McDonald's All-American Game. The co-MVPs were Kentucky-bound Michael Gilchrist of St. Patrick's (NJ) and North Carolina-bound James McAdoo of Norfolk Christian (VA). You can see the game box score over at Hoopniks by clicking Here.

- Michael Chandler, a 6'10 center who is verbally committed to Central Florida, is no longer attending Lawrence North (IN), per Kyle Neddenriep of The Indianapolis Star. The big man, who had previously committed to both Louisville and Xavier, is ranked #52 in the NBE Post-Summer Class of 2011 Top 150

- Here are a couple pieces of good reading on a couple of influential and controversial figures in high school hoops in their respective areas. Gus Garcia-Roberts of the Miami New Times penned a profile on Bernard Wright, which you can read Here. Matthew Stanmyre of nj.com wrote a story about Alif Muhammad, which you can read Here.

- I made predictions on the state playoffs in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and did so-so at best, faring much better with the Keystone State tournaments. Anyway, here were the actual champions in both the NJSIAA and the PIAA:
                        - NJSIAA Group I- Asbury Park
                        - NJSIAA Group II- Newark Central
                        - NJSIAA Group II- Plainfield
                        - NJSIAA Group IV- Paterson Eastside
                        - NJSIAA Non-Public A- St. Augustine's
                        - NJSIAA Non-Public B- St. Anthony's (Tournament of Champions winner)
                        - PIAA Class A- Math, Civics & Sciences
                        - PIAA Class AA- Imhotep Charter
                        - PIAA Class AAA- Neumann-Goretti
                        - PIAA Class AAAA- Chester

Note- photo is of Kevin Ware and is from http://scouthoops.scout.com/