From the moment Ahmad Hudson arrived at Ruston High School, a bright spotlight and lofty expectations have followed. The son of former LSU basketball player and Grambling Lab legend Antonio Hudson, Ahmad’s athletic gifts have been the topic of conversation and anticipation for years, well before he stepped foot on Ruston’s campus.
The great ones don’t buckle under pressure — they seize the moment. A point the younger Hudson proved while earning the 2026 Louisiana Farm Bureau Insurance/Mr. Basketball honor from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
With an undeniable ability to impact both ends of the floor, either as a rim-rocking dunker or a determined shot-blocker, Hudson averaged 19.7 points on 59% shooting, 13.4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2.7 blocks as a junior.
Hudson, a starter for the Bearcats since his freshman year, is the first player from Ruston to win the Mr. Basketball honor. The 6-foot-6, 230-pound Hudson also is the 5-star football recruit and top-rated tight end in the 2027 class.
A two-time District 2-5A basketball MVP, Hudson led Ruston to a 23-4 record and state runner-up finish this season — the Bearcats’ first state championship game appearance since 1988. He averaged 23.3 points, 16.5 rebounds, and 4.3 blocks in the postseason but he saved his best for the biggest stages at the LHSAA’s state tournament.
In Ruston’s state semifinal win over Central, Hudson compiled 19 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks, and seven steals. Two days later, in an anticipated matchup of No. 1 (Zachary) vs. No. 2 (Ruston), Hudson was at his best with a staggering stat line with 32 points, 24 rebounds, seven blocks, and four steals.
Hudson joins Paul Millsap (2003, Grambling Lab) as just the second player from Lincoln Parish to win the award.
