When LSU guard Antonio Hudson was removed form his starting position, many fans thought coach John Brady decided to move in another direction. But Brady has insisted that the move was not a demotion. What Brady refused to call a “benching” apparently has worked for Hudson in the past two games.
“We met with Darrel and talked about what’s best for Antonio, because when he is playing well and shooting well, our team is better,” Brady said.
Brady atributed fewer turnovers in the second half of Wednesday’s game against Tennessee and hot shooting from Hudson and Mitchell as keys for LSU winning. Brady said he was pleased the team made a key run in the second half without Jaime Lloreda, and added that Hudson and Mitchell’s improvement are very important for the Tigers to become a better team.
Brady’s decision has yielded immediate results.
Hudson finished the game with 17 points, an SEC high for him this season.
In the three games prior to the roster change against Ole Miss, South Carolina and Georgia, Hudson scored 12 points, combined.
The past two games have been noticably different, with Hudson scoring 10 against Alabama and 17 against Tennessee.
The move also benefitted the team. The Tigers are now 2-0 with Hudson contributing from the bench.
Forward Jaime Lloreda said Hudson was a major key for the Tigers’ success against Tennessee.
Lloreda said he was confident in his teammates when he was benched for foul trouble in the middle of the second half. He said the move has been good for Hudson because he noticed a more confident and aggressive game from Hudson.
Despite Hudson’s improvement in prodction, Hudson said he does not feel much difference while he is playing, but said he has been more loose in the past two games.
“I feel like I don’t have as much pressure on me,” Hudson said. “I just feel like if I’ll be more aggressive, I’ll be better.”
The move has also yielded results for Mitchell, who started in place of Hudson, putting up a career-high 22 points.
Despite the career high in point production, Mitchell said neither he nor Hudson are worried about who starts.
“It’s not a big issue of who starts,” Mitchell said. “It’s not about that. It’s about what’s best for the team.”