Former Skyhawk men’s basketball players Lester Hudson (’09) and Jared Newson (’06) both saw their professional seasons finish up this year in the first round of the NBA Developmental League Playoffs. Hudson, playing his rookie season in the NBA, began the year with the Boston Celtics who had drafted him with the 58th overall pick in the 2009 draft but was claimed off waivers by his hometown Memphis Grizzlies midway through the year. In 16 games with the Celtics, Hudson averaged 4.4 minutes per game, scoring 1.4 points a night. To gain more experience at point guard, Hudson was sent to the NBA Developmental League’s Maine Red Claws, an affiliate of the Celtics, where he played five games, averaging 14.6 points and nearly five rebounds a night.

After Hudson was waived by the Celtics, he was picked up by the Grizzlies less than 24 hours later. In only his second day with the team, Hudson logged a season-high 21 minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he scored nine points and pulled down four rebounds. He followed that up two weeks later with a career night at home against Kobe Bryant and Los Angeles Lakers. He played 12 minutes against the Lakers but in that time he scored 13 points, including a pair of deep three-pointers, while also shutting down Bryant on defense. Later in the year, Hudson was again sent to the NBADL, this time to the Dakota Wizards, to gain experience.

In 15 games with the Wizards, Hudson became the D-League’s 13th leading scorer with 16.5 points per game, while also pulling down 6.3 rebounds and dishing out 4.2 assists. He helped lead Dakota into the playoffs, where he stepped up his scoring to 18 points a night, but it wasn’t enough as Dakota fell to the Austin Toros in game three of the three-game series.

For Newson, it was his first season to play in the United States since graduating from UT Martin in 2006. After all-star international seasons in Germany and Australia, Newson returned to the United States and the NBADL’s Bakersfield Jam, which is an affiliate of the Golden State Warriors and LA Clippers. Newson appeared in 20 games for the Jam, averaging 10.6 points and 4.2 rebounds along with a season-best 34 points against the Utah Flash before being traded to the Sioux Falls Skyforce, which is the affiliate team of the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Miami Heat. With the Skyforce, Newson appeared in 26 games, starting 13 and averaging 8.2 points and 3.6 rebounds. He scored double figures 10 times, including 31 against the Springfield Armor. Newson also helped guide his team to the NBADL Playoffs, but the Skyforce ultimately fell to the Tulsa 66ers in three games.