Lester Hudson - NBA Draft Prospects

Numbers: 25.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 4.5 apg, 2.8 spg, 46% FG, 39% 3's, 83% FT, 3.8 3pg

About Him: Lester Hudson is a very intriguing player. He had one of the most impressive statistical season every. Sure, he played in the Ohio Valley Conference, but look at these games - against Memphis he had 35 points and 10 boards (in his first ever D1 game after sitting out a year, not even practicing with the team); Mississippi State he had 27 points, 11 boards, 4 assists, and 3 steals; against UNLV he had 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 steals; and against Vanderbilt he had 36 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists. He's a strong, 6'3" guard with long arms that can score in a variety of ways, but his best skill is his jump shot. He can stroke it, and stroke it from deep, which is part of the reason that he took almost 10 3's a game this year. He's not an overwhelming athlete, he doesn't have an amazing first step and can't jump out of the gym, but he is crafty in the ways he can get his shot off. He's also phenomenal in the passing lanes, racking up almost 3 steals a game, and a great rebounder, thanks to his long arms. Unlike many prolific scorers, Hudson allows the game to come to him and doesn't force many shots, which is impressive considering how important his scoring was to his team. He is also a decent playmaker and is unselfish. But the problem is that Hudson is almost 24, has played one year of D1 basketball, and couldn't graduate high school or the JuCo he attended. He did take a year off, not even practicing the UT-Martin team, to get himself eligible, but it's hard to tell if that is a good thing or a bad thing.

Comparisons: Rodney Stuckey, Randy Foye

Bottom Line: Hudson is only a junior, but given how old he is, the numbers he put up this year, and the competition he would be playing against, it doesn't make sense for him to return for his senior year. He looks pretty risky as a first round pick, but taking a chance on him in the second round could pay off very nicely.