Recruiting Report: James Hudson (2018)
James Hudson – 6’3” | G/W | Andrean High School | Class of 2018
James Hudson has steadily been increasing his level of play throughout his high school career. Already this season he has posted career highs in scoring with 27 points and 30 points in the first four games. Hudson is finishing up his senior year at Andrean High School in Northwestern Indiana. With his versatility on and off the ball, he has been flying under-the-radar.
“At the beginning of the season, we really didn’t have an identity. Lately, we’ve found out who we are as a team and we have been getting better every day. Chemistry between the guys is getting better and we’re just having a lot of fun right now.”
Andrean has been streaky this season with three and our game winning streaks. Hudson has picked up on the leadership aspect as the team is in need of some guidance with their young talent. “I’m a team captain. Lately, I’ve just been playing really good basketball. Our freshmen are doing really good. They’re starting to get a really good feel for the game. We have three freshmen who are in our top eight and they are getting comfortable and doing good right now.”
“We picked it up defensively. We put in a press and starting playing with more tempo. We have a lot of guys that can score the ball and when we starting playing with more tempo and stayed under control, the ball started moving more and guys were able to knock down shots.”
James has shown the ability to take over games on both ends with the team moving to a quicker game. With his length, athleticism, and court awareness, he jumps passing lanes extremely well and is a tough on ball defender. He uses his frame and quickness to get to the basket on offense and can finish in a multitude of ways inside of fifteen feet. The lefty can also get going from the outside with a smooth looking jumper from deep.
“Right now, I’m working on moving without the ball. I’ve been seeing different defenses lately so I’m just really trying to move around as much as possible and get to my spots on the court. Also, working on dribble pull-ups and ball handling so I can create for myself and my teammates.”
Hudson is an all-around threat on the offensive end of the floor. His jumper is consistent so they have to come out and guard him, his handle is good enough to get by defenders and create opportunities going to the basket, and with his basketball IQ, he creates extremely well with pick-and-roll action.
He has also seen the benefits of creating off-court chemistry amongst the team. “We starting hanging out as a team. Getting the chemistry right between the guys. We will go out to dinner and just hangout sometimes.”
James has started to hear from DII and DIII schools alike as his senior season has been filled with a few head-turning performances. “I’m a dedicated and hard-working player who plays on both sides of the court. I play with a lot of heart and basketball is a passion for me.”
As the season continues on for the Fighting 59ers, look for Hudson to continue leading this group. They sit at 8-5 now and have the pieces to create a ruffle in the postseason. James continues his recruiting journey but is a kid that schools that are looking to find an offensive weapon on the wing should take a look at.
MaxPreps Profile: http://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/james-hudson/6DBXBbDNEeaAdqA2nzwY6g/default.htm
Hudl Profile: https://www.hudl.com/profile/6865945/james-hudson
Game Highlights – Andrean v Hammon Morton via We Got Next Hoops: