Scottie Reynolds returns to Villanova

Villanova guard Scottie Reynolds announced yesterday that he has removed his name from the list of players who will be available for the June 25 NBA draft.

When asked what he needed to hear to stay in the draft, Reynolds was succinct.

"Lottery," he said to laughter.

From the feedback Reynolds and Villanova coach Jay Wright received on the player's prospects, Reynolds was considered to be a possible second-round pick. He worked out for three teams in Houston, and also paid a visit to the Washington Wizards.

First-round draft choices sign guaranteed contracts while second-round selections need to make the team to get paid.

"It's just being intelligent about the situation," said Reynolds, who averaged 15.2 points per game as a junior.

"Coming back to school is an intelligent decision."

Now that he has made it public - Reynolds said he told his teammates last week that he was coming back - the 6-foot-2 native of Herndon, Va., can look forward to playing one more season and helping Villanova as it looks to make a run at the national championship.

Last season, the Wildcats reached the NCAA Final Four before going down to eventual champ North Carolina in the national semifinals. It was Reynolds' length-of-the-court drive and layup that got the Wildcats past a tough Pittsburgh team in a regional final.

"You're not always going to have a chance to come back for your senior year," Reynolds said. "Especially with the guys we have coming back and the guys we have coming in. This team is on a mission to accomplish something, and I want to be a part of that."

Of course, Wright was delighted that Reynolds will be wearing a Villanova uniform again.

"I'm happy for Villanova, and I'm happy for Scottie's teammates," Wright said. "I think it's the right thing for him and his career. You have to trust him to make that decision, and I can't say I'm surprised he made a smart decision. He even lived a little bit of the NBA lifestyle, and I think he realized it's pretty cool here. We got a good life. 'I want to do it one more year.' "