SMU forward transfer Ja’Heim Hudson commits to, signs with Auburn
AUBURN — SMU forward transfer Ja’Heim Hudson has committed to and signed with Auburn.
Hudson visited Auburn earlier this week on Wednesday and Thursday.
“AU, let’s get to work! I want to thank God and everybody who has helped me during this process. It’s been tough, but I’m excited to be a TIGER,” Hudson said on Instagram.
Hudson, standing 6-foot-7, has two years of eligibility remaining after playing his first two seasons at Georgia State and last season at SMU.
“Talking to the last three coaches Ja’Heim has played for – in high school, at Georgia State and at SMU – I respect all three of those coaches and all three said he was one of their favorites,” head coach Bruce Pearl said. “He is a great person, great worker and great teammate. Stepping up another level, he brings great depth to our front line and has two years of eligibility remaining. He will definitely make an impact on our program and bring another level of toughness to our team.”
Hudson said of his Auburn visit, “It was lovely, I loved it. This is a wonderful environment, great place to be, so welcoming. That was the best thing, I’ve never been so welcomed like this. You can feel the energy as soon as you step on campus.”
He continued on talking about how Auburn pitched his fit within the program.
“They showed me exactly what they want, what they see me doing, they just put it all out in front of me. That’s as real as it gets. You can’t turn that down,” Hudson said.
“I love how they put it right in front of me. That was the best pitch. I’ve dreamed about being on this type of stage and now I’m getting the opportunity. It’s surreal, it’s too good to be true. It’s a great opportunity and I definitely want to take the best route. I want to make the most of it.”
You can read more of Hudson’s quotes following his Auburn visit in the story linked above.
Hudson joins Furman guard transfer JP Pegues as transfer portal commitments. That duo joins high school signees Tahaad Pettiford and Jahki Howard in the Tigers’ 2024 class of newcomers.
Auburn 2024 signing class now includes Pettiford, Howard, Pegues and Hudson.
Jan 7, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Southern Methodist Mustangs forward Ja’Heim Hudson (15) drives to the basket as Memphis Tigers forward David Jones (8) defends during the second half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
More on Ja’Heim Hudson’s resume
This season at SMU, the 6-7 forward appeared in 31 out of 33 games. He averaged 5.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, while also recording 18 steals and 17 blocked shots. In the first round NIT loss at Indiana State, he scored a season-high 21 points and had four rebounds.
Hudson played for former SMU head coach Rob Lanier during the 2021-22 season, when the Marietta, Ga. native broke out as a true freshman at Georgia State. He appeared in 27 games, starting 12 of them, and averaged five points and 4.6 rebounds.
While at Georgia State, Hudson actually played against Auburn in December of 2022, scoring eight points and grabbing 11 rebounds.
Hudson totaled 135 points, 125 rebounds, 23 blocks, and 10 steals this season. He finished the season with five points and five rebounds in the NCAA Tournament against Gonzaga.
In 2022-23, he led the team with 6.9 rebounds per game while scoring 10.1 points per game. He led the team with 22 blocked shots and was third with 27 steals. Hudson started 21-of-28 games played this past season.
As a prep star, he led Wheeler High School to back-to-back state championships as a junior and senior, earning AJC Class AAAAAA All-State First Team honors his senior year as Wheeler finished with a top 25 national ranking.
Thoughts on the addition of Hudson
From talking to a knowledgeable basketball program source, the more the staff evaluated Hudson compared to Texas forward transfer Dillon Mitchell, the more Hudson grew on the Tigers’ staff. Mitchell ended up committing to Cincinnati before Hudson’s public announcement was made. While Hudson didn’t average big scoring numbers last season, he’s a 6-foot-7, big-bodied forward that does have some ability to stretch the floor with his shooting. Pairing Hudson with backup center Dylan Cardwell makes some sense. Chaney Johnson enters the offseason as the presumed favorite to start, but don’t count out Hudson either.
The Tigers’ staff believes Hudson brings a nice overall skill set to the table and will mesh nicely with the current roster of players. The one caveat is that Hudson only has one year of eligibility, but Hudson also didn’t covet the type of NIL resources that Mitchell and his camp did. In the end, Auburn’s staff made would have been content with either Hudson or Mitchell, so landing Hudson is a win in the eyes of the Tigers’ staff. Now, the attention moves to finding another guard option.
The post SMU forward transfer Ja’Heim Hudson commits to, signs with Auburn appeared first on On3.
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