by Ryan Rogers
You look at his eyes, sleek with attention yet at the same time drooping poignantly. LSU fans haven’t seen a hoops star with such gloomy eyes since Pete Maravich. Perhaps in Antonio Hudson’s eyes can be found the story of the youngster’s freshman season.
It has been a season that began with promise, mystery and anxiety. A season in which his play has been a pleasant surprise and his role has increased with every game. A season with dramatic ups-and-downs, leaving Hudson wedged in the middle trying to develop his game and help his team dig itself out of a hole. And, a season that has answered many of Hudson’s questions, though others only become more perplexing as he looks at his team’s record.
“I just don’t understand why we’ve struggled lately,” Hudson said. “We should have beaten more than half of the teams we lost to. We are a better team than we’ve showed lately. We work so hard and then we don’t get any breaks in the game. It’s not fair to the guys and coaches that work so hard around here.”
The Tigers are trying to claw their way back into post-season contention. With the injury to Collis Temple and early season injury of reserve guard JueMichael Young, Hudson has been pressed into duty very early and now has entered the starting lineup.
“I’m glad to be playing so soon,” he said. “I was surprised at first. It has been tough learning on the run, but I am enjoying the learning process. The moment I realized that I was going to be counted on by my teammates I knew I couldn’t let them down. I’m working hard to play my best for my team.”
Hudson, a native of Grambling, La., came to LSU as a scoring talent averaging 30 points per game in high school. The scouting report said that he would need to tune his defensive game to become a great college basketball player. Luckily for Hudson, he plays for a coach that insists his players play great defense.
“I’ve improved my defense a lot,” Hudson said. “I know I can get even better, but for the first time I’ve really concentrated on being a better defensive player.”
Hudson has become a scoring threat and recently has been called on by head coach John Brady to score even more.
“Shooting is the best thing I do right now,” Hudson said. “I’m further along in the rest of my game than I thought, but I have a long way to go before I’m a good player. If this team needs me to play a larger role, then I accept the challenge. Being a freshman is not an excuse. This team needs me to step up.”
Hudson averages 8.2 points per game and has shot well from behind the arc, making 39 percent of his attempts. He drained three big three-pointers to help LSU defeat Arkansas earlier this year.
The outside shooting has certainly helped spark LSU’s offense. If Hudson and other Tigers can force defenses to defend the perimeter, the inside lanes for Ronald Dupree, Thomas Davis and Brad Bridgewater will open up, making the Tigers’ offense run smoother.
“We all have to do our parts to make this thing work,” Hudson said. “Everyone is responsible for helping us get better. The better I get, the better my teammates get, the better the team gets. It’s really simple.”
In regard to his coach’s request that he play a larger role, Hudson is taking the added pressure in stride and has grown fond of Brady.
“I like Coach Brady’s coaching style,” he said. “I like the way he keeps on me and everyone else to make us better players. He forces us to pick up the intensity level, pick up the confidence level, and you want to do your best to satisfy him every time you’re on the court.”
Hudson, like all the other players on this team, is far from throwing in the towel on this season.
“What I love most about this team is that we are a big family,” he explained. “We need to battle and win most of our conference games remaining so we can make a bid for the NIT. I want to shock everyone in the SEC Tournament and make a run at getting the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.”
You can see a lot of things in Hudson’s eyes. You see desire to learn and get better, you see puzzle in defeat, joy in playing the game, but most prominently you see a rising star with all the tools and promise to be a major catalyst in turning the program around and getting LSU basketball back on top.