Hudson’s key role
Little Rock Central senior Kiyler Hudson has used his versatility and energy to help lead the Tigers to a 16-3 start.
Whenever anyone around the Little Rock Central boys’ basketball program talks about senior Kiyler Hudson, there’s one word that’s bound to come up: Energy.
In most years, energy is not a problem inside Tiger Fieldhouse. Whenever the 19-time state champions take to the floor, the juices are already flowing throughout all four corners of Central’s home gym.
Of course, this isn’t a normal year.
With covid-19 restrictions limiting the Tigers to just family in the stands this season, they’ve needed someone to provide that jolt on a nightly basis. And they don’t have to look far to find him.
“[Kiyler] can be the loudest one in there. It’s just what we need,” said sophomore Bryson Warren.
Whether it’s filling in as a spot starter or, more often, coming off the bench as Central’s sixth man, Hudson has played a critical role in the Tigers’ 16-3 season thus far, helping to keep Central unbeaten in its past 10 games. That’s pushed the Tigers 8-0 in league play, and it’s got Central leading the 6A-Central conference as it looks to claim back-to-back state titles.
But while Warren gets most of the attention as the team’s standout sophomore and the tandem of C.J. Camper and Hudson Likens bomb away from deep, Hudson brings the energy to really get the party going.
“He’s just a passionate, emotional leader,” Coach Brian Ross said. “His passion is something that’s contagious to everyone else. He’s a guy that everyone else on the team roots for and likes to see do well.
“When Kiyler gets a dunk, it’s over for everybody. We all get hyped and we start playing better on both ends of the floor.”
Being a leader is something that Hudson has done ever since transferring from Mills before the start of last season. And though Hudson was new to the Tigers, they weren’t new to him.
Both his father and one of his uncles played for Central, and another of his uncles, Cedric Cobbs, was a standout running back at Fair before going on to star at the University of Arkansas.
It’s a legacy Hudson wants to pass onto his younger cousin, who will soon follow in his family’s footsteps at Central.
But that energy wasn’t always there in 2019-20, even as the Tigers went 18-12 and surprised with a late-season run, all the way to a state title matchup with Conway that was ultimately called off due to covid-19.
“We didn’t have energy at all last year at the beginning of the season,” Hudson said. “I just decided to step up and be a leader. … I want to be the guy to bring energy and keep everyone excited.”
Some nights, Hudson is the one making exciting plays. He leads Central with nine dunks and is second on the team in blocks.
Other nights, he’s making the important ones. In the Tigers’ state semifinal last season, he defended current Razorback Jaylin Williams and came up with a game-winning steal while protecting a 1-point overtime lead.
And then there are times when his impact doesn’t show up much in the scorebook at all. The 6-foot-5 Hudson averages only five points and five rebounds per game.
For Ross, the beauty of Hudson is that even if he doesn’t know what to expect statistically from his senior forward, he knows the passion is going to be there — something that benefits everyone on Central.
“The thing I really appreciate about Kiyler is everybody’s got passion and energy when things are going well, Ross said. “but when things are going poorly, he’ll be the first guy to get up off the bench and go give a teammate a high-five or he’ll sit there and start a defense chant from the sideline. … That’s just him being who he is.”
Whenever the Tigers’ season does come to a close, it’s not clear what’s next for Hudson basketball-wise. With the NCAA granting all college basketball players an extra year of eligibility, offers have been few and far between outside the high-major programs.
Whether it’s at the college or junior-college level, though, Ross expects Hudson’s hoops journey to continue.
And Hudson doesn’t seem worried about it, either. Instead, with Central rolling and once again the thick of things as a 6A state title contender, he’s got his mind locked on one thing.
“My goal for this year,” Hudson said, “is to be a champion.”