Movin' on up

Carbondale native and ex-Saluki Troy Hudson thriving as Minnesota's point guard

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Undrafted, unwanted and unrelenting, ex-Saluki point guard Troy Hudson continues to defy the odds.

Following two seasons as a bench player for the Orlando Magic, Hudson is excelling as the starting point guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves after signing a three-year contract totaling $7.4 million.

Through the all-star break, Hudson has started 41 of 46 games for the T-wolves (29-20, fourth place in Midwest division) and is on pace to set single season career highs in points per game (14.2), assists per game (5.1), minutes per game (31.0) and three-point field goal percentage (.376).

But the road to the top for the ex-Saluki was full of pitfalls. He persevered through a college transfer and was undrafted as an early entrant to the NBA, which is a black hole for most players. Hudson was waived twice by the Utah Jazz in 1998 and once by the Los Angeles Clippers in 2000 before resurfacing with the Orlando Magic the following season and finally finding a home in Minnesota.

Tim Bleyer, Hudson's head coach at Carbondale High School and a believer from the start, recalls discovering Hudson's immense talent at an early age.

"My relationship with Troy goes back to the sixth grade when I first saw him play at Lincoln School," Bleyer said. "At the time, Mike Curtis was their eighth grade coach and he had a very talented team of seventh and eighth graders. Troy weighed probably about 80 pounds, but it was evident to me and a lot of people at that time that Troy was a very special player."

Playing against older competition, Hudson more than held his own, oozing with the untapped potential of a future star. By his sophomore year at Carbondale, Hudson was a mainstay in Bleyer's lineup.

Following a magical senior season in which he led the Terriers to a second-place finish in the IHSA state AA playoffs, Hudson committed to play college basketball for head coach Norm Stewart at the University of Missouri.

But after seeing action in only two games, a combination of contrasting styles and limited playing time led to Hudson's decision to transfer midway through his freshman year.

"Norm Stewart had a reputation of being pretty tough and a screamer. That wasn't my style," Bleyer said. "I sort of always scratched my head a little bit as to why he made the decision to go to Missouri."

After careful consideration, Hudson decided to finish the remainder of his college career as a Saluki.

The insertion of Hudson to the lineup immediately gave the Salukis a slasher with a scorer's mentality. He utilized his incredible quickness to set up his jump shot and his teammates.

On the receiving end of the majority of Hudson's passes was Shane Hawkins, the Saluki record-holder for three-point field goals made and attempted in a career. Hawkins is currently an assistant coach for the Salukis.

"With Troy we had an offensive threat from anywhere inside the half-line," Hawkins said. "Whether he was wide open or double teamed, he was always a threat to score."

Long-time Saluki assistant coach Rodney Watson clearly remembers the quality that made Hudson special.

"His quickness is what separates him from anybody else I've ever seen. He is so fast and he's got such great balance and body control," Watson said. "This is no revelation, but I really did feel while he was here that that's a guy who's going to play someday in the NBA.

Hudson was blessed with a plethora of athletic ability, but as pointed out by former Saluki head coach Rich Herrin, it was Hudson's tireless work ethic that truly separated him from the pack.

"Troy would get finished with a practice at night and then go play another four hours," Herrin said. "At the Rec, at the park, it didn't matter. Wherever there was an open court he would play. There is no doubt about it, his success comes from his desire to play basketball."

After two years and 55 games, he was the Saluki record-holder for points in a two-year career with 1,164 and three-pointers made in a season with 134. Hudson decided to forgo his senior season and enter the NBA draft.

"I was selfishly disappointed, but it was his decision," Herrin said. "At the time I questioned it, but it turned out to be a great decision. He is having a great year this year."

One of thirty-two point guards available in the 1997 NBA draft, Hudson was overshadowed by players who had the advantage of playing for a winning program. The combined record of 24-35 during his tenure at SIU almost single-handedly kept Hudson off the pre-draft list of the top 15 point guards, and thus out of the minds of many scouts.

Hudson looked on helplessly as 10 point guards were selected instead of him on draft day.

"If you look at the guys who get drafted, they usually come off of teams that are successful," Watson said. "We didn't have a great year. But it's really neat that he took his opportunity and made the most of it."

Hudson was given his first opportunity in the league by fellow southern Illinois native and Utah Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan. A native of McLeansboro, Ill., Sloan invited Hudson to participate in the team's post-draft minicamp. On October 2, 1997, he was signed as a rookie free agent, replacing the roster spot of injured veteran point guard John Stockton.

Hudson made his NBA debut on October 31, 1997. He was waived eight games later, but not without making a name for himself.

Splitting time between the Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA and the Sioux Falls Sky Force of the CBA throughout the 1998-99 and 1999-00 seasons, Hudson earned himself a workout and eventual contract with the Orlando Magic. He was signed to a two-year contract on August 10, 2000.

Hudson thrived in his role as a sixth man for the Magic, providing energy and a scoring threat every time he stepped onto the court. The former Carbondale High School star was beginning to turn heads around the league, as evidenced by his fifth-place finish in voting for the NBA's sixth-man award and seventh-place finish for most-improved player.

Hudson averaged a career high 11.7 points per game for the season while reaching double figures 48 times, eclipsing the 20-point barrier 12 times and scoring a career-high 34 points versus the Phoenix Suns on March 13, 2002.

"Troy is a great guy and he has not changed one bit since the time he was in high school to now," Watson said. "He loves basketball more than anybody I've ever known. He is a guy that is so easy to root for and we are so happy for him that he is playing terrific."

Reporter Adam Soebbing can be reached at editor@siu.edu