Guard Jalen Hudson averaged 8.4 points for Hokies as a sophomore during the 2015-16 season.
Harry Fodder: How Jalen Hudson Fits In
Thursday, May 12, 2016 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
The 6-foot-5 transfer guard from Virginia Tech will sit out the 2016-17 season per NCAA rules.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Another week, another roster move for the Florida basketball team.
The official addition of Virginia Tech transfer Jalen Hudson, who announced via Twitter Wednesday he'd chosen the Gators over Texas, won't impact what Coach Mike White's team does on the court in 2016-17. Unlike guard Canyon Barry, the former College of Charleston standout guard who became a Gator a week ago and will be eligible immediately as a graduate-school transfer, Hudson must sit out the season per NCAA transfer rules and will have two years of eligiblity remaining starting in the 2017-18 season. The 6-foot-5 guard will benefit from a year working in a new system while playing a prominent role on the scout team, but his addition is significant in the bigger, long-range picture.
Excited to announce that I will be finishing my college career at The University of Florida! #Gators ????
— Jalen Hudson (@JalenHudson5) May 11, 2016
This time next year, UF will be dealing with the losses of three seniors in Barry, point guard Kasey Hill and forward Justin Leon, as well as possibly exits by forward Devin Robinson and center John Egbunu, as early NBA entrants. Robinson may very well have been gone already were it not for the stress fracture discovered in his right foot after the season. Ditto Egbunu, who tore ligaments in his right thumb in the final regular-season practice. Both are back because their time to work out for the pros in advance of the draft was scratched due to rehabs from surgery.
Now, regardless of what happens with Robinson and/or Egbunu, the Gators have added a player in Hudson who will be a fourth-year junior and provides more upperclassmen representation —alongside guards Chris Chiozza (a senior in '17-18 ) and KeVaughn Allen (junior) — which helps balance a roster that will be tilted heavily with younger players.
Hudson, out of Richmond, Va., not only will bring experience, but Atlantic Coast Conference experience, having averaged 7.7 points and 2.1 rebounds a game during two seasons with the Hokies. Along the way, he had games of 32 points against Wake Forest and 23 against Duke as a freshman, as well as 27 against Louisville, 28 in the NIT against Princeton and 25 in an overtime defeat of North Carolina State as a sophomore.
Though he's coming off a season when he hit a respectable 34.6 percent from the 3-point line, Hudson's offensive game projects more as a scorer versus a long-range shooter. In 44 of his 67 career games with the Hokies, Hudson had two or fewer attempts from the 3-point line, including 12 games when he didn't take any. He has the ability, though, to create offense for himself off the bounce and will surprise defenders in attacking the basket with sneaky athleticism.
At 6-5, Hudson will be able to match up against a variety of perimeter players. When he was on campus for an official visit a couple weeks ago, the coaching staff took note that Hudson's body has a lot of potential to fill out once strength/conditioning guru Preston Greene gets him in the weight room.
So welcome, young man.
UF is now at its full complement of 13 scholarship players for '16-17, with center Schyuler Rimmer, who was placed on scholarship for the second semester last season, moving back to walk-on status.
As for Hudson, White and his staff are very happy the guy is here, even if Gators fans won't see him on the floor and in a UF uniform for 18 months.
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