One of four recruits head coach Mike Rhoades brought in this year, Hudson Ward believes his talents complement what is being built at Penn State.
โBeing a little bigger, I think Iโm pretty versatile, so I can play bigger or smallerโฆ Whatever [the team] needs me to do I can,โ Ward told Zane Brancefield at local media day.
Ward decided to join the Nittany Lions because he loved their up-tempo โstyle of playโ and focus on defense.
His multifaceted game is exactly the type of player Rhoades wants to have on the court.
โHudson is a skilled and versatile forward who can finish strong at the rim and is comfortable knocking down open threes,โ Rhoades commented on Ward.
โ[H]is willingness to play hard on both ends of the floor makes him a strong fit for our program.โ
For Penn State, signing Hudson Ward is a signal of the direction the program is taking. That direction is maintaining lineup flexibility and embracing the pace and space era.
Hudson Ward, Penn State
NAME: Hudson Ward
HOMETOWN: Leduc, Alberta, Canada
POSITION: Forward
YEAR: Freshman
HEIGHT: 6-foot-7
WEIGHT: 210
BEFORE PENN STATE
The three-star Ward spent his final two high school seasons playing for Western Canada Prep Academy.
During his time there, the 6-foot-7 swing averaged 26.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.1 blocks. He was an absolute stat sheet stuffer, even for playing against lesser competition.
Speaking of filling up the box score, Ward recorded three 50-plus point triple-doubles in his prep career. An absurd feat for anyone at any level of play.
FIT
As has become evident through all 14 of these player profiles, Rhoades aspires to play a more modern game, one that highlights toolsy two-way players.
The recruitment of Hudson Ward didnโt stray from that path, providing Penn State with another player who can fill in at nearly any position on the floor.
As Mike Rhoades continues rebuilding Penn Stateโs basketball program, bringing on a player like Ward demonstrates Rhoadesโ willingness to adapt to the demands of the modern game. By embracing the โpace and spaceโ era, Rhoades is ushering in a new regime for Penn State Basketball, and itโs just getting started with a player like Hudson Ward.
