The university said yesterday that it had released Grant from his scholarship and that he will pursue a transfer to another university.

Grant, a 6-foot guard, averaged 5.6 points in 29 games in his freshman season at Villanova but had three explosive scoring games, two of which keyed Cats victories.

The first and most memorable was Dec. 6 against LSU. The Tigers led by 21 points before Grant began hitting shots from all over the court in the final seven minutes. He finished with 18 points - 14 in the final 2 minutes, 55 seconds - and the Wildcats won, 68-67.

However, his playing time decreased late in the season as coach Jay Wright went with Scottie Reynolds almost exclusively at point guard, backed up by Corey Fisher.

Grant led the team in three-point shooting, making 46.6 percent of his attempts.

Wright, who called Grant "the heart and soul of this team" after the Pitt game, said he was sorry to see him go.

"He has been exemplary as a student and a teammate at Villanova. However, he deserves starter's minutes," Wright said in a statement issued by the university. "We are grateful for all that Malcolm has given to Villanova and support him in this decision."

Grant could not be reached for comment.