University of Tennessee at Martin junior guard Lester Hudson made NCAA Division I men's basketball history on Tuesday, Nov. 13 when he recorded a quadruple-double in the Skyhawks 116-74 victory over Central Baptist College. He is believed to be the first men's player to accomplish the feat at the Division I level.
Hudson filled up the box score with 25 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals in 31 minutes of play. He was 10-of-17 from the field and 5-of-7 from 3-point range and also blocked a shot.
The transfer from Southwest Tennessee Community College, is averaging 30.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 5.0 steals per game through three games at UT Martin. He was named Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week on Nov. 12 after his first week with the Skyhawk program.
"I've been around basketball for a lot of years now, but I never been around a player who has had a quadruple double," said UT Martin head coach Bret Campbell. "You hit a triple-double and that's pretty special. He (Hudson) makes us hum obviously. Not only can he score, he makes everybody around him better and that's the good thing about him."
In research conducted by ESPN and the NCAA, no other recorded instances of a quadruple-double occurring at the Division I men's basketball level have ever been record. At the Division I women's level, UCLA's Ann Meyers had 20 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals in a 1978 contest against Stephen F. Austin.
The feat has only happened four times in the NBA since the 1973-74 season (when the NBA started to officially recognize blocks and steals). The NBA players to accomplish the feat include David Robinson (Feb. 17, 1994), Hakeem Olajuwon (March 29, 1990), Alvin Robertson (Feb. 18, 1986) and Nate Thurmond (Oct. 18, 1974).
The feat has also occurred once in the ABA (Jamel Staten on Feb 2, 2007) and once in the ABL (Debbie Black on Dec. 8, 1996). Four instances of it happening at the women's Division III level have also been documented.