Villanova's Tony Chennault not transferring after all

VILLANOVA LEAD guard Tony Chennault, a Neumann-Goretti product, has decided not to transfer after all.

Chennault came to the Main Line last offseason after spending 2 years at Wake Forest, where he started as a sophomore. He became eligible to play immediately when the NCAA granted him a hardship waiver, since he made the move to be closer to his ailing mother. Then last May, his older brother/mentor was killed in a still-unsolved shooting incident.

When Chennault struggled with his game in the first half of the season, coach Jay Wright said that he thought the tragedy was a factor. Chennault's play eventually did improve and he was able to contribute more to a team that didn't have a lot of depth. The Wildcats wound up winning 20 games - including three over teams ranked in the top five - to make it back to the NCAA Tournament following a 1-year absence.

"Our basketball family is happy that Tony had a change of heart and decided that he wants to complete his career and graduate from Villanova," Wright said in a statement.

Chennault averaged 3.6 points in 18 minutes as the first backcourt reserve. He figures to come off the bench again, since Ryan Arcidiacono led the team in minutes as a freshman and all indications are that sophomore Dylan Ennis - a transfer from Rice who sat out last season - will get every chance to start.