Redhawks will try to slow UTM's Hudson

~ Tennessee-Martin star is second in the nationin scoring.

As if things haven't been eventful enough for the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team over the past week, now comes the nation's No. 2 scorer.

Lester Hudson will bring his 26.4 average to the Show Me Center tonight when Southeast hosts Tennessee-Martin in a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.

The Redhawks (12-11, 7-6) are tied for fifth place in the Ohio Valley Conference, just one game out of third place.

UT-Martin (10-14, 6-8) is ninth. The Skyhawks are the only conference squad Southeast has not yet played this season.

"It should be another close, highly competitive OVC game," Southeast coach Scott Edgar said.

Southeast has certainly had its share of those recently.

The Redhawks are coming off Tuesday's 121-116 triple-overtime victory over OVC leader Austin Peay in the highest-scoring game in Southeast basketball history.

In the Redhawks' previous contest, they fell 86-85 at Murray State.

"It might take 121 points just to beat Lester Hudson," a laughing Edgar said following the victory over Austin Peay that broke Southeast's six-game losing streak.

Hudson not only entered the week ranked second nationally in scoring, he was also third in steals per game and third in 3-pointers made per game.

But for anybody who thinks the 6-foot-3, 190-pound junior college transfer gets all those points by hogging the basketball, that is not the case.

Hudson's 47.4 field-goal percentage is high for a guard, and he ranks ninth in the OVC in 3-point field-goal percentage (41.0) and fifth in free-throw percentage (81.4).

In addition to leading the league in scoring, steals, 3-pointers per game and minutes played -- 36.1 -- Hudson also ranks among the top 10 in rebounding, assists and assist-to-turnover ratio. He averages 7.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 3.2 steals.

On Nov. 13, in a 116-74 win over Central Baptist College, Hudson became the first Division I men's player to ever record a quadruple-double as he had 25 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals.

"He's not a player who gets his stats by shooting all the time," Edgar said. "He's just a great all-around player, and I know NBA people are watching him."

Hudson, the leading scorer in all but seven of UT-Martin's 24 games, has scored at least 30 points 10 times. He has not been held out of double figures all season.

Hudson has had some of his best performances against UT-Martin's toughest opponents, including 35 points and 10 rebounds against Memphis, the nation's top-ranked team.

He also scored a season-high 36 points against nationally ranked Vanderbilt, and had 27 points and 11 rebounds against Mississippi State.

"He's done it against everybody," Edgar said.

Southeast junior forward Jaycen Herring, also a junior college transfer who is the Redhawks' leading scorer with a 13.7 average, is particularly interested in tonight's game.

Herring, like Hudson a native of Memphis, Tenn., said he is familiar with the UT-Martin star.

"We played against each other in high school," said Herring, coming off career highs of 29 points and 12 rebounds against Austin Peay. "He was good, but I never knew he was going to be one of the nation's leading scorers."

Herring, who has scored in double figures in 16 of his last 18 games -- his 15.2 average in conference play ranks ninth in the league -- said it's not so much a matter of what Hudson does tonight, because he's likely to get his share of points.

"We just have to play as a team and come out on top, no matter what he does," Herring said.

As to who might guard Hudson, Edgar wouldn't commit to a single player.

"It's going to take everybody," he said.

And Hudson isn't UT-Martin's only dangerous scorer.

Freshman guard Marquis Weddle averages 16 points, and is coming off a 30-point outburst during Thursday's 100-95 loss to Tennessee Tech in which he hit 8 of 16 3-pointers.

Senior forward Gerald Robinson -- the Skyhawks' only returning starter from a year ago -- averages 12.8 points and 8.1 rebounds.

Robinson, the reigning OVC player of the week, had 26 points and 19 rebounds during a recent game against Jacksonville State. That rebounding total is the highest in the OVC this season.

"Hudson is a great player, but they're not just him," Edgar said.

Noteworthy

• The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), in collaboration with the American Cancer Society, has scheduled the Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers awareness weekend for this weekend.

Head and assistant coaches across the country -- including Southeast's staff -- will wear sneakers instead of dress shoes with their usual game attire during this weekend's games to show support for the American Cancer Society and the fight against cancer.

• Fans attending today's 3 p.m. women's game between Southeast and UT-Martin will be granted re-entry for the men's contest.