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Jalen Hudson
Jalen Hudson threw down this huge dunk in Tech's win over Clemson.

Jalen Hudson's decision to transfer was a surprise to some fans. It was not to me. There were three key reasons that led to the transfer, and one reason was the direct result of another.

Playing Time

Players want to play. With Ahmed Hill healthy next season (knock on wood), Jalen's Hudson playing time was likely going to dip. In 2014-15, Ahmed Hill started 30 of 33 games and averaged 29.6 minutes per game. Hudson started three games and averaged 16.7 minutes per game. That season it was obvious that Buzz Williams preferred Hill over Hudson.

Hudson's minutes went up in 2015-16 with Hill out for the season, and with Chris Clarke missing most of ACC play. Let's compare Hudson's minutes played when Clarke was hurt to his minutes played when Clarke was healthy…

  • When Clarke was hurt: 22.7 minutes
  • When Clarke was healthy: 18.2 minutes

Clarke being healthy took a slice out of Hudson's minutes. Assuming both Hill and Clarke are healthy at the same time next season, it doesn't take a genius to see that Hudson's minutes were going to dip even more.

Now let's compare career minutes per game during the Buzz Williams era for all of Tech's eligible returning guards and wings:

Justin Bibbs: 31.3 minutes per game (mpg)
Ahmed Hill: 29.6 mpg
Seth Allen: 28.1 mpg
Devin Wilson: 25.8 mpg
Justin Robinson: 23.2 mpg
Chris Clarke: 21.7 mpg
Jalen Hudson: 18.4 mpg

Despite being "the most talented player on the team" Jalen Hudson has seen the court less than all the other returning guards and wings during Buzz Williams' two seasons in Blacksburg. This past season Hudson averaged fewer minutes than Devin Wilson (21.5 to 20) despite the fact that Wilson has very limited ability to score or shoot.

Let's assume for a moment that Hill is back to 100%, and that those other guys stay healthy for the most part next season. Four of those players are Buzz Williams recruits, and Williams obviously prefers Bibbs over Hudson as well. There are only so many minutes to go around, and unless Hudson magically did something between now and next season to convince Buzz that he's a better option than those other guys, he would end up with the short straw again.

There's also the chance that Ty Outlaw could be cleared, which would add another wing to the mix. We've heard that there's a better chance of that happening right now than there was a couple of months back. I still don't think it will happen, but it's something else to consider if you are Jalen Hudson.

The bottom line is that Hudson wants to be a guy who averages 30 minutes a game, and that's not going to happen at Virginia Tech. Ahmed Hill and Chris Clarke are Buzz-types, and Jalen Hudson is not. Unless he changed his style of play, that wasn't going to change. However, he's good enough to average 30 minutes a game somewhere else. You only get one chance to play college basketball, so you can't blame him for wanting to put himself in a position to get more minutes.

Jalen Hudson in action during the 2015-16 season.
Jalen Hudson in action during the 2015-16 season.

Why Did Hudson Not Get More Minutes?

Buzz Williams often called Hudson "the most talented player on the team." Knowing that, why did he get fewer minutes than all the other guards and wings in the program? The answer is simple. Work ethic.

I'm not suggesting that Hudson had a poor work ethic. That's not the case. I believe he had a normal, regular work ethic. However, that's not good enough for Buzz Williams. Ultimately it means that he's not going to develop at the rate of Ahmed Hill, Chris Clarke, Justin Robinson, etc. All of those guys have worth ethics that are considered to be anywhere from above average to Erick Green-like.

If you follow Buzz Williams on Twitter, you know the team's routine, and if you pay attention to details, you might know that the players have a voluntary workout with Buzz on every road trip. The workouts are at a random gym in Boston, Charlottesville, DC, or wherever the team happens to be playing, and Buzz always posts a picture of himself and everyone who participates. Here's a series of pictures…