ICYMI: Penn State basketball lands commitment from massive F Hudson Ward

Mike Rhoades and the Penn State basketball program made a late addition to the 2024 recruiting class this week. On Wednesday, the Nittany Lions landed a commitment from Canadian forward Hudson Ward. What should fans expect from the massive forward and newest edition to the Penn State basketball program?

 Canadian big man Hudson Ward commits to Nittany Lions

Hudson Ward is a 6’7 forward who attends Western Canada Prep in Edmonton. He was rated as a three-star by On3 and was the outlet’s highest-rated Canadian player who was still uncommitted. Back in the spring, Ward was a top 150 prospect for On3, landing at 147. But with a lack of offers and others excelling, he fell out of that group. Penn State beat out Rice, San Diego, Long Beach State, and others for Ward’s commitment. 

.@hudsonwardd (’24) has committed to Penn State Basketball (@PennStateMBB).#WeAre pic.twitter.com/Tb5hrmHyHT

— Western Canada Prep Academy MBB (@wcpambb) January 31, 2024

Ward offers a skill set that, on paper, is very attractive in today’s game. He has good size at 6’7 and fills that frame well. He also appears to have a solid wingspan that gives him the desired measurables for a modern forward. He seems to be a plus athlete for his size and has pretty smooth movement.

Not the most explosive player off the dribble, but once Ward gets to the rim, he’s got the bounce to rise and flush it even against tight defense. His ball handling is not anything special, but it is certainly advanced for his size and position. His three-point shot is solid both numbers and mechanics-wise, and that will likely be the swing skill for him in determining how good he can be at this level.

What should Mike Rhoades expect from the newest edition to the Penn State basketball program?

Hudson Ward profiles as a bit of an in-betweener, playing like a guard in a forward body. But Ward is not entirely skilled enough as a guard for that play style to work at the next level. As a late cycle addition, taking a swing on a recruit with Ward’s physical attributes and baseline skills feels like a no-brainer if you have the space, and it appears that Mike Rhoades believes Penn State basketball does. 

Notably, Penn State basketball only has three players on the current roster, Qudus Wahab, RayQuawndis Mitchell, and Leo O’Boyle, with no eligibility remaining beyond this season. The commitment of Hudson Ward signals that Mike Rhoades and the rest of the staff are expecting at least one additional member of this year’s Nittany Lion squad to exit in the offseason.

Hudson Ward is the fourth member of the 2024 Penn State basketball recruiting class. He joins four-star center Miles Goodman and three-star guards Jahvin Carter and Dominick Stewart. Ward becomes the forward the class was missing and profiles a bit like Stewart at the 3 position and D option on the wing. Based on how far along the 2024 recruiting cycle is at this stage, Ward could likely be the last addition to the class. 

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