Feeling Peachy

Ruston High sophomore Ahmad Hudson made the most of another opportunity to showcase his basketball talents and represent the Bearcats on a national stage.

Hudson, along with dozens of other high-profile prep basketball prospects, participated in the

Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Peach Jam in North Augusta, South Carolina, over the last two weeks, with Hudson’s team, JL3 Elite (Texas), wrapping up play on Friday.

The Peach Jam is one of the most long-standing and regarded basketball tournaments on the amateur circuit featuring the best high school basketball players in the country. The tournament was spilt into three age divisions of 17-Under, 16-Under and 15-Under – Hudson’s squad falling into the latter – and brings in dozens of scouts and college coaches to observe the top high school hoops talent in North America. Notable Peach Jam alumni include NBA Champion Jayson Tatum along with NBA All-Stars Trae Young and Julius Randle.

Now, Hudson can say he was one of those such alumni.

“This experience was great,” Hudson said. “I attended last year, but to participate was a different level of excitement. Our team is excellent, and we were able to showcase our talents on an even bigger stage.”

JL3 Elite played four games at Peach Jam in competitive bouts against the country’s best 15u talent and finished 2-2 overall. Hudson averaged 8.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks on 52% shooting at the tournament – earning the fourth best rebounding average of the age group.

The first game for JL3 Elite was a tight 66-63 loss to Team Durant (Maryland). Hudson finished with 3 blocks, 4 points, and 3 rebounds. JL3 got introduced to the opposing talent level early as Team Durant was led by Babatunde Oladotun, a teammate of Hudson’s in the first ever Jr. NBA Showcase last summer, considered by ESPN as the top player in the Class of 2027 with offers from UCLA, USC, and Texas, among others.

After another loss in the tournament to PG Elite (California), JL3 was able to bounce back thanks to the improved play of Hudson and his teammates in their final week of action.

JL3 beat the Florida Rebels 98-83, with Hudson putting up a game-high 6 blocks to go with 18 points and 9 rebounds on July 18. He followed that up on July 19 with 9 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 blocks in a 59-58 win over Mean Streets (Illinois). Mean Streets boasts college prospects Jaxson Davis, Josiah Harrington, and Davion Thompson – with the cohort holding an assortment of offers from Illinois, Iowa, and Oklahoma. Hudson had more rebounds and blocks than the three of them combined.

“The best part of the tournament was winning,” Hudson said. “The last game we played, we won at the buzzer. That was so amazing.”

And while high-major coaches like Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, Michigan’s Dusty May, and Purdue’s Matt Painter, among many others, attended the Peach Jam, coaching staffs spent most of their time watching current seniors and juniors play.

“I really didn’t get much feedback from any coaches. There weren’t many coaches on our court because there were some high profile 17U games at the same time as our games,” Hudson said.

That said, Hudson is in better position than most his age with current basketball offers from Louisiana Tech and Grambling State, along with five DI football offers.

Hudson will prepare to start on offense for Ruston football this fall before he returns to the hardwood in December. Under first-year head coach Marcus Jackson, Hudson will look to follow up a standout freshman season in which he earned LSWA All-State honors by averaging 14 ppg, 11.7 rebounds, and 3 blocks.