Lost amidst the Derrick Roses and the Michael Beasleys of the world is Lester Hudson, a combo guard for University of Tennessee-Martin and a legitimate NBA prospect.
In every draft there are players coming out of small schools who have their gaudy statistics debunked because they didn't play against top competition. Then they join the professional ranks and immediately pick up where they left off.
Marques Colston from Hofstra comes to mind in the NFL and Devean George in the NBA.
This year, that player is Hudson. The junior declared early last week and, although he hasn't signed with an agent, considering his disadvantage, it is unlikely he will get a better chance than now to enter the draft.
The road for Hudson to the point where he is at now has been long and arduous. Not exactly the academic type, Hudson took a circuitous route to UT-Martin, which involved Southwest Tennessee Community College where he earned his high school GED, but failed to graduate.
The only team that remained open to recruiting Hudson was UT-Martin, and their perseverance paid large dividends on the court.
This season, his first with the team, he was fourth in Division 1 in scoring, averaging 25.6 points per game. He was fifth in Division 1 in steals per game with 2.8 and shot 46 percent from the field, including 38 percent from behind the arc.
Before you discredit his statistics and say his competition does not compare to the major conferences, look a little closer.
In the first game of the season against the Memphis Tigers—yes those Memphis Tigers—Hudson was guarded by Antonio Anderson, Memphis' long-armed stopper. In just 29 minutes Hudson poured in 35 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. He was a ridiculous 7-13 from behind the arc.
Just eight days later, in his third game with the team, Lester Hudson joined an elite group of basketball players who have recorded quadruple doubles. Granted the game was against Division 2 Central Baptist College, but the magnanimity of the game speaks for itself—25 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 steals.
That was the first time in the history of college basketball that anyone has ever recorded a quadruple-double! Think about all the great basketball players who have graced the courts at universities across the country. This guy is the first one who ever got a quadruple-double!
Hudson has shown a knack for playing his best in big games. Four days after his quadruple-double he had an off night shooting against Mississippi State and still managed to score 27 points, grab 11 rebounds, and dish out four assists.
Just a little while later against in-state Vanderbilt, Hudson went off for 36 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and two steals—a performance so worthy that it prompted Vandy coach Kevin Stallings to say, "I was very impressed with his game, and he could play for any team in our league."
Just keep in mind that league is the SEC, one of the better conferences in Division 1.
What makes him most well-suited for the NBA is his versatility, his strength, and his size. Most guards who can't make it into the NBA are "tweeners," but Hudson, at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, is not a point guard trapped in a shooting guard's body. He is just a guard, capable of doing anything asked of him.
He can shoot from anywhere on the court and has that gunner mentality that means he WILL shoot from anywhere on the court. He is also an effective slasher and a strong finisher around the rim. Hudson attempted 169 free-throws, a very high number for someone his size.
You cannot tell me that some team wouldn't want someone who can average eight rebounds per game while standing at only 6-foot-3.
It's all about upside with the draft. Every year players get drafted because they have this untapped potential. This can lead to booms like Andrew Bynum or Kevin Garnett, or it can lead to busts like Nikloz Tskitishvili or Michael Olowokandi.
Why can't someone just draft based on results?
Statistically only Michael Beasley measures up to the type of numbers Hudson produced in college. Everyone talks about what an amazing scorer Eric Gordon is and what a terrific rebounding guard Derrick Rose is.
But Hudson averaged more points than Gordon and more rebounds than Rose. He will still, undoubtedly, get drafted lower, if at all.
My best guess from my layman's knowledge of Hudson is that he will be a terrific NBA guard—not just a role player, but a starter and key contributor.
Now if only I could get in contact with Danny Ainge...
Comments (2) Add a comment »
from 22 days ago
I could not agree more, I never actually saw this guy play, but heard alot about him. He reminds me somewhat of a Morris Almond in that he played for a team not mentioned very often, but still led Division 1 in scoring categories. Almond has not produced very much yet, but I see your argument. Obviously teams are going to take Derrick Rose before him and you would to if you were a GM, look at what he did this year.
from 16 days ago
Lester Hudson = the next Rodney Stuckey.
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