Wayns to hire agent

AS EXPECTED, Villanova junior guard Maalik Wayns will not be returning for his final season of eligibility.

University sources familiar with the situation have confirmed that the Roman Catholic product, who put his name into consideration for the NBA draft, plans to hire an agent.

That would make it impossible for him to remove his name by the April 10 deadline. Villanova will release a formal statement Thursday morning.

Everything Wayns said last week strongly indicated that this was the direction in which he was leaning.

Wayns - a second-team all-Big East selection and the Wildcats' top scorer - tweeted Wednesday, "I loved my 3 years at Villanova and will never regret anything had the best teammates coaches and professors anybody could ask for . . . I will always be a Wildcat and to the Nova fans who disagree with my dec sorry it's best for me and my fam i love all the fans and also . . . The haters just gone provem em wrong once it's time to pursue my dream let's get it!!!"

There was a report Wednesday that Wayns - who averaged more than 17 points a game for a team that finished 13-19 and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004 - had either signed or was about to sign with North Jersey-based agent Andy Miller, who also represents Kyle Lowry, the last Wildcat to leave early (2006).

A spokesman at Miller's office said he thought "nothing official" is in place.