Keith DeWitt, a 6-foot-10 player at Charis Prep, in Wilson, N.C., called the Mountaineers coaching staff Monday to say he was decommitting, although not removing WVU from consideration.

DeWitt committed April 30.

"He felt it was a rushed decision and he wasn't completely comfortable with it," said DeWitt's coach at Charis Prep, Carlos Peralta, who himself did not know of DeWitt's commitment the following day. "I think that's what he needed to do.

"When he told them he was coming, quite frankly I think it was one of those deals where he was so caught up with Bob Huggins that he couldn't imagine himself playing for a legendary coach like that."

Peralta said DeWitt still favors WVU, but that it was premature to pick the school as his destination.

"It's not a negative commentary on West Virginia -- he still wants to be recruited by them," Peralta said. "Keith told me he realized he had said yes before he even set foot on campus and checked out how he would fit in."

Peralta didn't have an opportunity to discuss the commitment with DeWitt until this past weekend. DeWitt was away from school following a death in the family.

DeWitt turns 21 in December and would be a 22-year-old college freshman. Reports of legal, personal and family problems kept him out of school and organized basketball the past three years. He played as a sophomore in 2003-04 at Andrews High, in High Point, N.C., before dropping out of sight.

"He has made mistakes in the past and honestly that's the reason he's here," Peralta said. "He initiated a phone call to me based on a friend of his we had at the time. He told me he wanted to get away from his circumstances and he felt like he needed to turn the page.

"He has definitely done that and this decision, though we know West Virginia University is not going to be jumping up and down about it, it reflects the maturity Keith has obtained and just the ability to think things through and make a decision based on sound judgment."

Despite his absence form competitive basketball, DeWitt averaged 15.7 points, 14.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists for Charis Prep, which won the prep school national championship this season with a 43-3 record.

"He's very much an all-around player," Peralta said. "He's very versatile. It's hard to find a guy of his size who has the feel for the game that he does. You usually see that in a guard. He's a very good passer and has a sense of when to do what.

"He understands the flow of the game and every situation. In addition to do that, he has a skill package that enables him to do several things well. He can dribble. He can shoot. He's good with his back to the basket as well as facing up."

DeWitt will now go through the recruiting process and already has interest or offers from a list of schools, including Missouri, Nebraska, La Salle, Oklahoma and Marquette.

"There are other schools in the mix, but it's just a matter of concentrating on grades, getting academics taken care of and letting the process come to him," Peralta said. "He hasn't reversed his decision because of another school. He wants to put the brakes on for a little bit until he feels ready to make a decision."

Contact sportswriter Mike Casazza at mi...@dailymail.com or 319-1142.