Maalik Wayns announced this morning that he will definitely return to Villanova next season, ending speculation that he would test the NBA waters this summer. Whether he was ever really considering such a move is still unknown, but the reaction from Dominic Cheek showed at least some excitement from his teammates about the announcement.
Wayns will be expected to play at the Point Guard position in the NBA eventually, but his position in this year's draft was far from certain. While a few scouts may have given him a second-round rating, others projected him to go undrafted.
Assuming his junior season is successful, however, Wayns should be expected to at-least test the waters a year from now. Players get one opportunity to enter the draft and pull out without sacrificing their college eligibility, and many players use that opportunity to obtain feedback from NBA scouts and executives after their junior season. Even if a player ultimately returns to school, that feedback can be used as a basis to improve one's skills and rise on the draft board by showing that as a senior.
This comes on the heels of Dominic Cheek's delclaration that he will be a "Villanova Guard for life," and with no other rumored departures, it appears at this point that the Wildcats will return every underclassman in 2011-2012.
In other news: It was announced yesterday that both Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes would take part in the Portsmouth Invitational tournament on April 6th through 9th in Portsmouth, Virginia.
The event is an opportunity for graduating players to showcase their skills for NBA scouts and mostly attended by players who feel they need a little more exposure to those scouts to ensure their NBA future.