UT-Martin's Lester Hudson Goes from High School Dropout to NBA Prospect

By ANDRE JOHNSON

He enrolled at the oldest public school in Memphis in Central High, where students are encouraged to live up to the school’s longstanding motto of Enhancing A Tradition Of Excellence. But Lester Hudson, it seemed, could care less about catchwords and slogans.

For two years, he skipped classes, roamed the halls, routinely played hooky, and hung out with the wrong crowd. When he often found his way to the classroom, he paid no attention to his instructors. He hated school with a passion. His priorities were so screwed up he flunked ninth grade.

Sure, it is safe to say that Hudson dodged high school the way a quarterback eludes defensive linemen. But unlike most of his peers with whom he ran the rugged and crime-stricken streets of South Memphis, this incredibly talented kid was blessed with a gift that has, in a number of ways, produced a golden opportunity for him to erase the memory of the setbacks he endured as a teenager.

For years, whether he was partaking in pickup or organized games, Hudson 's presence on the basketball court was too difficult to overlook, particularly by those who worked vigorously to help him reach greater heights in the sport. And, if things turn out the way many draft experts predict during the June 25 NBA Draft, the ex-Tennessee-Martin star combo guard could wound up savoring the hefty paychecks that come with appearing on basketball's grandest stage.

For the 24-year-old Hudson, who is projected as a mid-to-late second-round pick, earning a spot on an NBA roster would be the greatest off-the-court accomplishment since he earned his GED four years ago. After all, his willingness to clear a few educational hurdles is the No. 1 reason the Associated Press All-American (Honorable Mention) and two-time Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year is just weeks away from potentially embarking on the biggest break in his life.

One moment, he is a high school dropout with fading hoop dreams on the brink of being all but forgotten, just like so many others who have put their skills on display in high school gyms throughout this basketball-rich city. Today, he is one of college basketball’s biggest success stories, the face of the UT Martin basketball program, not to mention the guy who seized national headlines time and again since arriving in the small, rural northwest Tennessee town of roughly 11,000 two years ago.

In fact, college hoops fans and national basketball writers couldn't help but pay close attention to all the hoopla surrounding college basketball's version of the Comeback Kid, whose game has drawn comparisons to Atlanta Hawks combo guard Flip Murray. All he did during his final season at UTM was share the national spotlight with fellow mid-major phenom and First Team All-American Stephen Curry of Davidson by finishing second in scoring nationally at 27.5 points per game.

The 6-foot-3 Hudson picked up where he left off after quickly coming under the radar in his first full season of Division 1 basketball a year ago. For instance, he was the only D1 player to manage 20 or more points in the first 26 games of the season. Additionally, he scored 30 or more points 11 times, including a 42-point outburst against Tennessee Tech in the opening round of the OVC tournament. On the flip side, he's proven he could compete against the nation's big boys.

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