MMBOW #8: Lester Hudson, Tennessee-Martin
He was a breakout superstar from 2007-08 who came out of nowhere to lead a perennial OVC flounder to a salmon-jump in the standings. He was a juco transfer who learned how to study and landed at Tennessee-Martin, and nearly left after a year in the wake of an impressive showing at pre-Draft camp. In the first month of the season, however, he became somewhat of a forgotten man, lost in the mid-major shuffle. No more! Lester Hudson is our eighth Mid-Majority Baller of the Week of the 2008-09 season.
The Skyhawks lost five of their first seven games, taking wide losses at Tennessee and Southern California, and dropping its first two league decisions at Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky. It wasn't the 6-2 Memphis native's fault, he just wasn't getting much help. But the supporting cast has woken up, and Hudson has upped his game as well, resuming last year's pace of remarkable performances. Last Wednesday at Central Arkansas, he scored a stunning 41 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, a double-double that helped UTM to an 84-65 win on the road. Last night, as league play restarted in the Ohio Valley, he shot 10 for 19 from the floor and six of seven from the line for 28 points as Martin topped Murray State by four. The Skyhawks now enjoy a five game win streak heading into the heart of conference play -- with all cylinders firing again, the team looks poised for a run towards its first NCAA appearance.
Additionally, the strong week helped Hudson jump out to second place in the national scoring race (25.9 ppg) behind Stephen Curry. It helps that he's one of the top 100 free throw shooters in the country, only missing seven of his 72 attempts so far. If he closes out his senior year strong, he'll be a factor in Draft talk again. NBA body? Um, yeah. Versatility? Dude's got a quadruple-double to his credit, son. How much money he makes for playing basketball, and where, is still to be determined. For now, he's our Mid-Majority Baller of the Week.
