Hudson Greer hears from Kentucky, intrigued by blue-blood status -- and the work that comes with it

Hudson Greer has seen his stock steadily rise since jumping on the scene as a high-major talent his freshman season at Lake Travis High in Texas. Initially a fringe top-100 prospect, he’s now a fringe five-star, coming in at No. 22 overall in the 2025 On3 Industry Ranking. It’s why Kevin Boyle has recruited him to play at Montverde Academy for his senior campaign.

It’s also why Kentucky has thrown its hat in the ring under new head coach Mark Pope with associate head coach Alvin Brooks III leading the charge after previously recruiting the Austin, TX native at Baylor.

Greer is a deceiving player — there’s nothing ‘sneaky’ about his athleticism. The 6-6, 180-pound guard plays above the rim with the best of them and his off-ball presence as a slasher and complementary connector is just as impressive as the 3-point shooting mechanics he takes so much pride in. He’s a do-it-all threat who contributes to winning at the highest level, hence the move to Montverde under Boyle, the coach who does nothing but win games year after year.

“Hearing the talks about how hard his practices are, how amazing of a coach he is, putting guys in winning position,” Greer said Friday at Nike EYBL Session III in Indianapolis. “… That was the best thing for me, doing what I needed to do to get better. I don’t want to be complacent about where I am.”

That’s for one and final high school season, though. As for colleges of interest, that list is long and growing quickly. Among them? Creighton, Arizona, UCLA, Texas and Alabama are recruiting him the hardest right now with Kentucky and Duke looming as recent threats looking to sneak into the race.

With the Wildcats, he hears from them “here and there” but is waiting to get on the phone with Coach Pope. Until then, Brooks is laying the foundation of Kentucky’s recruiting pitch.

“He’s only been there a couple of weeks now, but he mentioned it’s the biggest fanbase in college basketball,” Greer said of his talks with Brooks. “He was talking about how when it was announced he was going to go there, his followers doubled. It’s not all about followers, but it’s an indication what that fanbase is like.”

As for his thoughts on the program in general, the brand speaks for itself.

“When I think of Kentucky I think of a great fanbase, a great bloodline of history there whether it was from (John) Calipari or (Rick) Pitino, things of that nature,” he added. “It’s a long line and lineage of really, really good basketball players from there.”

How about Duke? That one was a surprise, Jon Scheyer actually texting him during class to let the soon-to-be five-star know he was interested.

“That was awesome, I was just sitting in the middle of Algebra II trying to get my work done and I get a text from Coach Scheyer,” he said. “Great guys with a long lineage — everyone knows about Coach Scheyer and Duke. It’s an amazing program. … I think he’s doing an amazing job. It’s only his second year, but I feel like they did a good job in the tournament this year with an ACC Championship. Great things there.”

The blue-blood intrigue is there for the 6-6 guard, who wants to prove he can make it at the next level without having things handed to him. Greer wants to earn it, and he knows he’d have no choice but to do it at a high-profile school — Kentucky, Duke or beyond.

“I’m not looking for a college that’s like, ‘Hey, you’re gonna come in and start right away.’ I want to make my own path and earn my playing time,” Greer told KSR. “Ultimately, I feel like that’s the best thing I can do for myself.”

Fit will also be important for the Austin native, needing a specific style of play that prioritizes spacing and shot volume. Greer wants to get out and run, playing to his strengths as an athlete.

“Getting up and down, that’s why I really like Arizona, Creighton and Alabama,” he added. “That’s why I like them a lot, they get downhill and shoot the three a lot, get guys open, things of that nature.”

He’s come a long way, but there’s still plenty of growth left to go. To get there, he’s modeling his game after some of the game’s best in hopes of reaching his dreams as a pro.

“Klay Thompson is a great one with his shooting ability, Jayson Tatum with the way he gets downhill and draws fouls along with his shooting,” Greer said. “Obviously, I’m not there physically yet, but Jimmy Butler I like a lot. Just the way he plays defense and his tenacity on the floor.”

Greer is trending in the right direction, and Kentucky likes what it sees at this stage, Pope courtside to watch him play on day one of EYBL Session III.

Mark Pope and Jamie Shaw courtside for 2025 four-stars Hudson Greer and Shelton Henderson pic.twitter.com/DQIClbSZKe

— Jack Pilgrim (@JackPilgrimKSR) May 17, 2024