Former Gophers All-America Lou Hudson, known as "Sweet Lou" to fans when he starred at the U in the 1960s, was posthumously selected for induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Gophers legend Lou Hudson named posthumously into Naismith Hall of Fame
Hudson was a star for the Gophers in the 1960s and went on to become a six-time NBA All-Star.
April 2, 2022 at 6:32PM
Hudson, who died in 2014, was known for his smooth shooting stroke and as one of the first Black scholarship players for the Gophers with Archie Clark and Don Yates.
The North Carolina native finished his college career as an All-American and All-Big Ten selection in 1965 and his No. 14 jersey was retired and raised up into the Williams Arena rafters in 1994.
After being picked No. 4 by the St. Louis Hawks in the 1966 NBA draft, Hudson went on to a successful professional career. The 6-5 forward was a six-time All-Star and finished with 17,940 points in 13 seasons. His No. 23 jersey is also retired by the Atlanta Hawks, his team for 11 seasons.
On Saturday, Gophers women's basketball coach and former All-American Lindsay Whalen was also inducted. Whalen and Hudson join Gophers greats John Kundla (1995) and Kevin McHale (1999) in the Naismith Hall of Fame.
This year's 13-member Hall of Fame class was announced at the men's Final Four in New Orleans. Also selected were Manu Ginobili, Tim Hardaway, Bob Huggins, George Karl, Hugh Evans, Swin Cash, Marianne Stanley, Larry Costello, Del Harris, Theresa Shank-Grentz and Radivoj Korac. The class will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., on Sept. 10.
The Gophers quarterback believed in himself, and his transfer to the U has led to a winning record this season.
