University of Minnesota Duluth men's basketball fifth-year senior guard Drew Blair has been named to Small College Basketball's inaugural Trevor Hudgins Award Top 25 watchlist today, Mar. 1, for the 2023-24 season.
Blair became the leading scorer in Bulldog men's basketball history earlier this season, eclipsing the record of 2,045 career points previously held by Brandon Myer. Blair currently leads the Bulldogs in steals (37), total points (620), and points per game (22.1) this season while shooting 213-444 (48%) from the field, 72-200 (36%) from three point range, and 122-152 (80.2%) from the free throw line. Blair has started every game this season for the Bulldogs and has put up 20+ points in 19 different games, including a season 34 points against MSU Mankato.
The award is named in honor of Northwest Missouri State's Trevor Hudgins, who during his historic career with the Bearcats led the team to three consecutive NCAA Division II National Championships. During his career, Hudgins started in every game and never lost in the NCAA Tournament, leading the Bearcats to a remarkable 17-0 record in the national tournament. Hudgins was named the NCAA Division II Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons in 2021 and 2022, and holds the NWMSU scoring and assists records while finishing his career as the number one highest scorer in MIAA history.
Considerations for the Trevor Hudgins Award are overall career statistics and achievements, team achievements, awards, and personal character. The player must have played his entire career at the small college level. The overall intent of the Trevor Hudgins Award is two-fold: 1) To keep the collegiate legacy of Trevor Hudgins alive and continue to tell his story to the next generation, and 2) To provide a national platform to honor outstanding players – and ultimately one player – within small college basketball on an annual basis.
Small College Basketball will announce the finalists for the award on Friday, April 5th, and the award winner will be announced on the following Sunday, April 8.
Blair and the Bulldogs will open up their schedule at the NSIC Postseason Tournament this weekend at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Their first game is set to tip off on Saturday, Mar. 2, at 1:30 PM.
