5/29/2018 basketball Edit

Report: Jalen Hudson To Withdraw From Draft and Return to Florida

Florida guard Jalen Hudson attempts a shot against Tennessee at Thompson-Boling Arena. (Photo by: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports)

Russ Wood • 1standTenFlorida

Basketball Recruiting

Russ has been covering Florida basketball recruiting on the Rivals Network since 2011. He is also a contributing national basketball recruiting reporter for Rivals and participates in player rankings.

In a very positive development for the Florida men’s basketball program, fifth-year senior guard Jalen Hudson will withdraw his name from the NBA Draft and will return to Gainesville for the 2018-19 season.

Jon Rothstein was first to report this developing story

Hudson was the Gators’ leading scorer in 2017-18, averaging 15.5 points per game in his first season competing at UF. Hudson transferred to UF in 2016 and sat out the 2016-17 season after two seasons at Virginia Tech.

Hudson became the first Gator ever to win three SEC Player of the Week honors in a season and was named to the PK80 All-Tournament Team after scoring 35 points in UF’s double overtime win vs. Gonzaga and posting a double-double against Duke. Hudson also had a 27-point outburst in the Gators’ win at Alabama the final week of the regular season.

With Hudson’s return Florida will have four players who started at least 19 games in the 2017-18 season on its roster next season.