Bruce Pearl discusses what he likes about transfer signees JP Pegues, Ja’Heim Hudson

ALEXANDER CITY, Ala. — While Bruce Pearl and his staff search for one more guard to add to the roster before next season, two important transfer portal pieces have already been secured in Furman point guard JP Pegues and SMU forward Ja’Heim Hudson.

Pegues was the first transfer to be added in April. He brings a veteran presence after three seasons at Furman.

“He had experience, the fact he was a three-year starter, he could really shoot, he can play off ball screens. He’s a really good defender with a chance to be better. Because we played against Furman in an exhibition game, he knew the pace, he knew the way our guys played. That gave us a little bit of an edge I think when it came to recruiting him,” Pearl said on Monday, speaking to reporters before the Bruce Pearl Fore the Children Golf Classic at Willow Point Country Club.

Pegues averaged 18.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game last season. He also shot 87.5 percent from the FT line last season. Pegues’ 27% assist rate (ranked inside the top 150 nationally) and his assist-to-turnover ratio was over 2-to-1. Pegues had 15 different 20-point games and scored 30-plus points in two road games last season.

“As a point guard, he’ll scratch where it itches,” Pearl said. “Depending on where we are strong and where we are weak, he’ll go. He’s smart enough, has a high enough IQ, he’ll know through the summer where we need to get the ball.”

Playing at NCAA Tournament team Samford last season, Pegues scored 33 points on 6-11 shooting from three. He played 34 minutes. He scored 21 points and dished out six assists last season at Arkansas, including going 10-10 from the FT line. Pegues is a career 35 percent shooter from three-point range and shot 36 percent last season. He hit four or more threes in nine games last season.

With Tre Donaldson transferring to Michigan and Aden Holloway transferring to Alabama, Pearl will be looking for more out of the point guard position next season. While Donaldson and Holloway were decent at securing the basketball, consistent scoring and matching up against bigger, tougher guards presented issues.

“I thought that both Tre and Aden did a good job last year. They were both young. At the position, they shot a pretty good percentage, Tre shot a great percentage. They both did a terrific job of not turning the ball over. That’s huge for point guards. As a result, we won a lot of games because they didn’t turn the ball over and they competed on the defensive end,” Pearl said.

“Can we play better defensively? Can we shoot it a little better, and can we get more tough two-point baskets from the position? That’s what I mean. Can JP or whoever plays the position give us a little bit more? Part of those guys not giving more was not turning the ball over. I don’t blame them for not putting themselves in bad spots. The other thing is, when you have a front line as good as we do, those guys need to be fed.”

Ja’Heim Hudson (Photo by Auburn Athletics)

Then there’s Hudson, aka “Turtle,” who visited Auburn last week and signed before the weekend. The three-year player from Georgia State and SMU will battle returner Chaney Johnson for playing time.

“The last three coaches that he played for said he was one of their favorite student athletes, favorite kids. Hard worker. What I was looking to do was really compliment that front line,” Pearl said.

“Dylan (Cardwell), Johni (Broome) and Chaney, those are three seniors that are good and are going to play. It’s the right fit. I’m really excited about what he brings. He brings some toughness, he can get downhill, he can shot the three a little bit. It will be interesting to see this offseason.”

This season at SMU, the 6-7 forward appeared in 31 out of 33 games. He averaged 5.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, while also recording 18 steals and 17 blocked shots. In the first round NIT loss at Indiana State, he scored a season-high 21 points and had four rebounds.

Pearl said Hudson’s overall value, specifically NIL value, and program fit were what he was looking for.

“I know I’ve said it a few times. Recruiting has changed so much, and so has evaluation. Evaluation, there’s a value now to players based on NIL. We try to focus on student athletes that have a value,” Pearl said. “I wanted to bring someone that wasn’t afraid to compete with them, but that wasn’t going to feel like they were entitled.”

Hudson played for former SMU head coach Rob Lanier during the 2021-22 season, when the Marietta, Ga. native broke out as a true freshman at Georgia State. He appeared in 27 games, starting 12 of them, and averaged five points and 4.6 rebounds.

While at Georgia State, Hudson actually played against Auburn in December of 2022, scoring eight points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Hudson totaled 135 points, 125 rebounds, 23 blocks, and 10 steals this season. He finished the season with five points and five rebounds in the NCAA Tournament against Gonzaga.

In 2022-23, he led the team with 6.9 rebounds per game while scoring 10.1 points per game. He led the team with 22 blocked shots and was third with 27 steals. Hudson started 21-of-28 games played this past season. As a prep star, he led Wheeler High School to back-to-back state championships as a junior and senior, earning AJC Class AAAAAA All-State First Team honors his senior year as Wheeler finished with a top 25 national ranking.

Pegues is already on campus. Hudson shouldn’t be far behind, as workouts ramp back up after Memorial Day.

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