By Zac Vierra, Globe Correspondent

UMass junior point guard Chaz Williams will return to Amherst to play his senior season, coach Derek Kellogg announced Monday. Williams led the Minutemen last season in scoring (15.5 per game), assists (7.3), and steals (2.0).

“I love this program and Coach Kellogg, and I love all the guys on the team," said Williams. "The pieces we have coming back next season was a big reason I decided to stay in school.

"We are trying our hardest to have the arena filled each and every game, and the student support we have makes college basketball so exciting."

Williams transferred from Hofstra after his freshman season, and after red-shirting for the 2010-11 campaign, he has led UMass in scoring, averaging 16.2 points in 70 games over the past two seasons. He has also recorded 473 assists in his time with the Minutemen, the third-highest total among Division 1 players over the last two seasons.

“We’re excited that Chaz has decided to come back for his senior season,” Kellogg said. “We spoke with the folks at the NBA level and discussed the possibilities for what would be best for Chaz and his future, and ultimately he made the decision to return and help get UMass back into the NCAA Tournament while working towards getting his degree.”

The Brooklyn native has been named first-team All-NABC and first-team Atlantic 10 the past two years.

“I just want to thank everybody around the community and at UMass, from the coaches to the fans, for allowing me to do the things I do,” Williams said. “Coach Kellogg was nice enough to allow me to have the opportunity to get feedback from NBA scouts. It was a tough process. I was thinking about taking care of my family, especially my daughter.”