Villanova scored a major coup Monday when point guard Tony Chennault, a 6-foot- 2 transfer from Wake Forest, was granted a hardship waiver by the NCAA play immediately next season.
The Wildcats lost both point guard Maalik Wayns and wing Dominic Cheek to the NBA Draft pool.
They return rising junior guard James Bell, rising sophomore Tyrone Johnson of Plainfield, N.J. and bring in guard Ryan Arcidiacono.
Chennault transferred from Wake Forest at the conclusion of the spring semester so that he could be near his Philadelphia home to assist his family. The NCAA has approved Chennault’s request, allowing him to be on the active roster in 2012-13. The product of Neumann-Goretti High School in Philadelphia retains two seasons of college eligibility
“The Chennault family has been dealing with so much this year,” head coach Jay Wright said. “Tony’s mom has faced health issues and his brother, Mike Jay, died tragically earlier this month. We are grateful that the NCAA has taken these unique circumstances into account and I know Tony is excited about the opportunity to be on the court with us next season.”
Chennault averaged 9.2 points and 2.8 assists in 2011-12 at Wake Forest.
