Hudson Dielbach
 Illustrated by Pac | |
| No. 11 – Retired | |
|---|---|
| Position | Guard |
| Species | American Red Squirrel ( Sciuridae ) |
| Gender | Male |
| Nickname(s) | |
| HD | |
| High Definition | |
| Hud | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | Ryegate, MT |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
| Listed weight | 135 lb (61 kg) |
| Shoots | Right |
| Career information | |
| High school | Ryegate-Lavina High School |
| College | Billings Technical Community College |
| FBA draft | 2017 / Round: 1 / Pick: 20th overall |
| Selected by the Texas Lone Stars | |
| Pro playing career | 2014–2020 |
| Career history | |
| 2014-2017 | Big Shot Streetball Tour |
| 2017-2019 | Texas Lone Stars |
| 2019-Jan. 2020 | Las Vegas Wildcards |
| Jan. 2020-2020 | Edmonton Excavators |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Contract information | |
| Contract year | 2019 |
| Player Contacts | |
| (IC) Agent | Unknown |
| (OOC) Creator | JValdma |
| (OOC) Actor | Unknown |
| (OOC) Usage | Ask me before any use |
Biography
A small player from a huge state, Hudson Dielbach’s fast-paced, flashy, showboating style seems profoundly at odds with the basketball environment he grew up in, Montana being far more likely to produce hardworking, tough bigfurs and the like. However, the remoteness of Hudson’s small-town upbringing, in its own strange way, was perhaps the most significant shaping force in his development as an athlete.
Hudson was born and raised in Ryegate, Montana, a town of roughly 250 in the middle of the state. (He is the only child of his parents, John and Amy, both local teachers.) The small-town environment of Ryegate meant that there weren’t a lot of extracurricular or recreational opportunities, and Hudson initially gravitated to basketball just to find something to do.
It was a trip to nearby Billings that stoked Hudson’s initial desire to become a basketball player. His parents had managed to procure tickets to a Montana Howlers game, and even though the family’s seats weren’t great, the intensity and spectacle of the professional game enthralled Hudson. (His mother would later say that he “didn’t shut up for months” after the game.)
However, it was another, incidental moment that led to Hudson developing his unique style of play. On a visit to a friend’s house during the summer before sixth grade, Hudson noticed a “Top Flite Ballers Streetball Exhibition” DVD. “Borrowing” it from his friend’s older brother, he took it home and watched it obsessively, enthralled by the showboat passing, dribbling, and drives to the hoop that characterized the pro streetball circuit. (He would end up taking just as much inspiration from the confidence and swagger of the streetball players as well.)
Given the small size of the two schools making up the co-op, Hudson had little trouble making the Ryegate-Lavina High School varsity basketball team, even as a freshman. However, he languished on the bench for most of his first two seasons, due partially to only standing 5’2” and partially to his flashy playstyle (cultivated from his obsessive streetball study) clashing with his coach’s more conservative gameplan. He did, however, establish a rapport with the team’s assistant coach, who would stay after practice to help Hudson refine his game.
A growth spurt of a few inches between his sophomore and junior years, along with the resignation of the head coach and promotion of the assistant to the top position, gave Hudson a golden opportunity to move into the starting point guard position, something that he did with ease. Ryegate-Lavina started playing a fast-paced style that was wildly unfamiliar to most of the small-school Montana teams they faced, and the Blue Demons found themselves in the state tournament for the first time in their history. While they did end up losing to the second-ranked team in Montana Class C and placing fifth in the state tournament, it was their best performance ever and set expectations high for Hudson’s senior season.
The Blue Demons delivered, finishing 17-0 in the regular season and storming through the district tournament, setting themselves up as the top seed in the eight-team state tournament. The state tournament proved to be little trouble, and Ryegate-Lavina won the Class C title game 68-44 behind a double-double performance (14 points, 11 assists) from Hudson.
Even with his starring role as a high school player, it was difficult for Hudson to attract attention from college teams. He ended up taking his head coach’s advice and enrolling at Billings Technical Community College, hoping that his performance on the junior college circuit could open up more opportunities.
Hudson spent two seasons starting at point guard for BTCC, earning all-conference honors his second season and leading the team to the final eight of the national junior college championships. Unfortunately, the only offers he garnered were from lower-level schools or were non-scholarship, walk-on offers. One unique offer did stand out, however: a representative from the Big Shot Streetball Tour who noticed Hudson’s unique style of play and outsized confidence.
The Big Shot contract paid relatively well and the opportunity to become a pro streetballer like his video heroes greatly intrigued Hudson, but it would require him to forgo his remaining college eligibility. He waffled for weeks, in the end making the decision to sign on with Big Shot.
Playing under the name “High Definition”, Hudson spent three years on the Big Shot tour, wowing crowds across the United States and developing his ball-handling, passing abilities, and vertical leap further. He found himself itching to return to the standard competitive game, however, and made the decision after his third Big Shot season to take a chance and declare for the FBA Draft against the odds.
Other Personal Information
While in high school, Hudson and a friend made a rap CD together that he says is “very embarrassing” and “should never see the light of day again”. He enjoys hip-hop and has a modest collection of shoes.
Brett Johnson, a bighorn sheep and longtime family friend of the Dielbachs, serves as Hudson’s agent.