Hudson Greer Scouting Deepdive
Premier three-point shooting prospect Hudson Greer joins the Creighton Bluejays, one of the best offensive systems in the nation; a match made in Heaven.
When it comes to developing talent at the college level, I’d argue very few do it as well as head coach Greg McDermott and the staff at Creighton University. The staff in Omaha is known for their ability to bring in solid high school recruits and turn them into legitimate professional contributors. Not only that, but they’ve built a culture structured around retention, something that we rarely see in today’s basketball ecosystem. For high school recruits who project to spend multiple seasons at the collegiate level before making a professional transition, there may be no better destination than Creighton. This is why I’m very hopeful when it comes to soon-to-be Bluejay Hudson Greer, a four-star recruit who I believe will seamlessly fit into Creighton’s system. An elite long-range marksman, Greer possesses a strong enough foundation to potentially become one of the better offensive agents in the nation by his upperclassmen seasons. So, what does his game look like today, and what must occur for him to reach the professional ranks following his tenure with the Bluejays?
Player Profile:
Hudson Greer is a 6’6” and 190lb shooting guard from Lakeway, Texas who finished his high school career with Montverde Academy after starting it with Lake Travis High School. The four-star and consensus top 50 recruit in the 2025 graduation class transferred to Montverde after leading the Lake Travis Cavaliers to a 32-6 record and a top 20 ranking in the state of Texas during his junior season. Following a solid year with Montverde, one of the best prep basketball programs in the country, he would commit to the Creighton Bluejays over programs such as Kansas, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, and Texas.
Despite an up-and-down season with Montverde, Greer posted solid numbers against some of the country’s best competition at his level. He averaged 10.8 points per game, 4.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, .6 steals, and .6 blocks on shooting splits of 47% from the field, 41% from beyond the arc, and 72% from the free-throw line. His season high of 19 points came against fellow high school powerhouse La Lumiere, and he notably chipped in 18 points against eventual national champions Christopher Columbus High School.
He was a priority recruit for Creighton, joining the Bluejays as the only freshman on the roster. The program focused heavily on the transfer portal this off-season, bringing in talented recruits such as Owen Freeman, Josh Dix, Blake Harper, and many more. This may mean Greer finds himself on the outside of the rotation looking in. That said, he brings excellent size to the shooting guard position and will be one of the better outside shooters on the team from day one.
Interior Scoring:
While he is known for his elite outside shooting, Greer found a ton of success scoring at- and around-the-rim throughout his high school career. During his time with Montverde, he played almost exclusively off the ball, leading to a ton of play finishing opportunities near the hoop. In addition to those looks, he also chipped in a ton of points in transition scenarios and occasionally applied self-created rim pressure from the perimeter. Although this part of his game certainly isn’t pro-ready, it’s an area where I believe he’ll find success moving forward. This scoring level will be vital for his long-term success, not only because it will bolster his overall scoring output, but also because interior scoring gravity is pivotal for elite outside shooters.
Although off-ball scoring is a far more prevalent aspect of his game from this level, he’s capable of creating his own rim pressure when asked to do so. His handle is super simple and he isn’t an especially explosive accelerator, but he’s stronger than he looks and is good at picking and choosing when to penetrate the paint. Earlier in the season, as he got used to attacking better rim protectors than he had previously played against, he got rejected at the rim a ton. As the season progressed, he got substantially better at finishing over and around these interior defenders via creative finishing from a multitude of different angles. This in-season improvement gives us a fantastic example of his willingness to evolve and adapt, a trait that will surely come in handy throughout the remainder of his career.
Most of Greer’s off-ball success from this level was generated via his active movement and smart decision making under the basket. Most of these looks came from baseline cuts, but he finished them in several different ways. He’s a solid lob finisher, being a better vertical athlete than many give him credit for. He’s also fantastic at disarming rim protectors with pump fakes and footwork, allowing him to find easy offense once they’ve left their feet. Moving forward, I’d like to see him develop more burst into his initial step, something that I think would give him an advantage against unprepared interior defenders. Once he finds himself going up against smarter rim protectors, pump fakes will become less effective, and he’ll have to improve as a through-contact finisher.
As far as rim pressure is concerned, he’s probably at his best in the open court. While his first-step acceleration isn’t great, when given enough room, he can pick up plenty of speed. This allows him to get the most out of his vertical athleticism and length, making him significantly more effective with and without the ball in these scenarios than he is in the half court. If Creighton were to play at a faster pace than we typically see from them, or if they wanted to alter their offensive approach on occasion, Greer would suddenly become a far more enticing rotational option.
Mid-Range Scoring:
Of the three scoring levels, the mid-range is by far Greer’s worst. This is surprising considering how good he is from long range, something that usually translates to pull-up mid-range shooting. It’s difficult for me to say he’s incapable of finding success from this range, because throughout my film dive I saw less than ten instances of him attempting a shot from this level. For all we know, his issues from this level were systemic and not the result of inability. That said, if he possessed standout talent from this range, I’m almost positive the staff at Montverde would have utilized it. For that reason, I must work under the assumption that his mid-range and in-between scoring games are incredibly limited.
When he does convert on an attempt from this level, it’s almost always on a floater or push shot. He seemingly completely lacks a pull-up jump shot. While I’m glad that he feels comfortable on floaters and soft touch looks from in-between range, the pull-up jumper is vital for players of his archetype. That shot would be the perfect bridge between his outside shooting and downhill driving, and if he were to develop it, he would become significantly more effective from all three levels. That said, the floater is also an important shot for downhill drivers (even though I’m not sure I’d classify him as a true downhill driver at this point in his career). Even though maintaining his long-range excellence should be his primary prerogative throughout his career, the development of his game from this level shouldn’t be too far behind.
Outside Shooting:
As I’ve heavily alluded to throughout the article, Greer’s primary calling card is his ability to knock down the three-point shot. More specifically, he’s a versatile shot maker from long range who can operate along the perimeter in just about any way a system needs him to. He’ll be one of the premier movement shooting freshmen in the country this season, and I suspect that by the end of his time with Creighton, he’ll be one of the best sharpshooters in all of college basketball. That said, he’s not much of an off-the-dribble creator from beyond the arc, giving him something to focus on from a developmental perspective. If he can improve in that area, he’ll eventually be relatively flawless from long range, an incredibly enticing trait for NBA front offices.
Very rarely does Greer attempt a traditional standstill catch-and-shoot three. He’s constantly moving away from the ball and is usually face guarded when standing beyond the arc. On the rare occasion when he is left alone long enough to set his feet before receiving a pass, he’s almost always going to convert on the attempt. He has an incredibly quick shot motion, despite bringing the ball down to his waist on nearly every attempt. He’s fantastic at squaring up his feet and shoulders and releases the ball from the same spot alongside his right temple no matter what. Possessing these consistent (and correct) mechanics is very impressive for a high school senior, and the Creighton staff won’t have to do much to ensure he finds outside shooting success against collegiate competition.
Greer’s long-range movement shooting is probably the most intriguing element of his entire game. This is a skill we rarely see from players his age, and it’s a trait that the Creighton coaching staff will have to seriously consider, as it alone could earn him minutes in a packed rotation. His ability to maintain his mechanics, including the squaring of his feet and shoulders, makes this even more impressive. I will say, I’m not sure how well this skill will be utilized alongside the current Bluejay point guard rotation, as I’m not sold on Nik Graves being a good enough passer to consistently set up movement shooters like Greer. I worry that most offense will have to be self-created this season, something that Greer doesn’t excel at. That said, the Creighton offensive system is always advanced, and I trust the staff to prove me wrong.
The extent of Greer’s “off-the-dribble" outside shooting is a mere extension of his catch-and-shoot and movement shooting abilities from this level. He rarely takes more than one or two dribbles before attempting a three, typically utilizing the occasional dribble to navigate around a contest, effectively creating his own movement shooting opportunity and giving him enough space to get his shot off over the defense. As I mentioned, off-the-dribble creation is really the only missing piece of his long-range shooting puzzle, and it’s something I’d like to see him develop in the future before projecting him to break into the league.
An intriguing wrinkle in his transition game is his ability to step out and space the floor, offering a kickout option on the fast break. Not only that, but he’s also liable to stop and pop when bringing the ball up the court. As long as he’s given enough time and space to square his body up, he’ll get a good look on the attempt. As he improves as an off-the-dribble shooter throughout his career, I expect him to simultaneously improve as a transition shooting threat. This is another skill that we don’t typically see from high school prospects, and it adds another layer to a transition game that could make him an interesting rotational option if Creighton wants to push the pace this season. From a professional perspective, there’s a very real world, in a few years, where Greer becomes one of the more enticing options for teams who thrive in the fast break.
Passing & Playmaking:
While Greer is certainly a flawed prospect, as most are at his age, he doesn’t have a ton of glaring holes in his game. That said, one of the very few glaring holes is his passing. I think a big reason for this is that he’s not much of a ball handler, and he was playing with a very good lead guard in Dante Allen during his year at Montverde. However, during my film dive I observed a ton of possessions where he either failed to make the correct pass or simply turned the ball over when attempting to do so. His subpar handle seems to limit his comfort in situations where he needs to make a heads-up passing decision, which makes him very easy to defend when he’s not attempting catch-and-shoot threes. That’s a worrying reality, especially now that he’s matching up against college defenders.
At the moment, Greer is at best a connective passer along the perimeter. The extent of his passing is finding his guards to reset the play or swinging the ball to another shooter if he doesn’t like what the defense is giving him. He doesn’t handle the ball in the pick-and-roll and he doesn’t throw kickout passes on his drives. His lack of scoring gravity when he’s in the middle of the floor allows the defense to deny his outlet options, forcing him to take shots that he’s probably not incredibly comfortable taking. If he was a legitimate three-level scorer instead of an inside-out scorer, and if he possessed a stronger handle, he’d probably be a solid tertiary passer. He seems to read the floor well as a scorer, suggesting that he possesses the necessary IQ to find consistent passing and playmaking success, but as of right now he’s missing a few of the vital traits he’ll need to open up his passing game.
Rebounding:
One element of his game that has flown well under the radar is his rebounding, especially his offensive rebounding. He’s a great rebounder for his position, and he’s a constant threat on the offensive glass. It’s strange, but this is an area where his vertical athleticism really pops, and an area where his timing and ability to read the floor truly stand out. Finally, this is a skill that requires a legitimate motor and a level of effort that most players aren’t willing to give. It’s traits like these that get coaches excited, because it shows that Greer is a player who is willing to give his all every time he steps on the floor, a characteristic that will hopefully extend to his developmental work off of the court.
Two things really stood out to me when evaluating his rebounding. The first was his level of effort, specifically his willingness to fight with frontcourt opponents under the hoop. He found good rebounding position on almost every Montverde attempt this year, something that most guards aren’t willing to do. That alone, even if he wasn’t actually grabbing rebounds, is a trait that coaching staffs will always hold at a premium. The second was his timing. His ability to perfectly time when to accelerate to the rim in order to throw down putback dunks is something we see from elite slashers and drivers, not from movement shooters. This is a naturally occurring skill, and it’s something that could potentially translate to his off-ball play finishing in the long-term. As far as feel for the game is concerned, this is an area where Greer looks to be an incredibly interesting prospect.
Defense:
While I wouldn’t consider defense to be a strength of Greers, he does enough on this end of the floor to avoid being a liability. He’s constantly involved and active on the defensive end, and his physical and athletic profiles support his defensive game. He’s also an opportunistic defensive playmaker who only takes risks when absolutely necessary, something that I like to see from players who aren’t elite defenders. I do think he’ll struggle to adapt against college opponents throughout his debut season but believe that he’ll be fine in the long run. If he continues to develop physically, I don’t see defensive concerns being a major part of his scouting report by the time he attempts to make an NBA leap.
Much like his rebounding, his defensive game is primarily predicated on his motor and willingness to give an extra effort. He’s almost always in the right spot defensively, which allows him to utilize his IQ, timing, and quick hands to pick up deflections and steals in passing lanes. He’s willing to dive on the floor for loose balls, another trait that coaching staffs will eat up throughout his career. He’s a bit of a spastic lateral mover, which creates issues for him as an on-ball defender, but I don’t have a ton of issues with his off-ball defense. His constant movement on the offensive end directly translates to this side of the floor, allowing him to match up well against fellow high-endurance off-ball agents. All in all, I think he holds his own in this department.
He’s not a real secondary rim protecting option; he’s just not big, long, or athletic enough. That said, he’s weirdly good at picking up weak side and recovery blocks. He’s good at poking the ball loose from behind as an opponent rises through their shot motion, something that I’m not sure I’ve ever seen before at the rate at which Greer does it. It’s such an odd skill that I’m not sure if it will translate, but it’s worth noting. I think what’s more important to note is the effort he’s willing to give as an interior defender despite not possessing most of the traits required of good interior defenders. Everything about his defensive motor suggests that he’ll be an effective defender throughout his career, especially at the college level.
Summary:
Before summarizing Greer’s game, I want to list out any and all of his flaws and weaknesses. It’s important to note that having weaknesses is uniform for every player at every level of the sport. What makes the great players great is their ability to improve upon their weaknesses in addition to maintaining their strengths. Also, it’s important to remember that players like Greer, who are the very best of their age group at what they do, are far less flawed than the large majority of their peers.
He’s an inconsistent athlete, and his athleticism still needs to be tapped into in various ways. In some situations, he seems like a very athletic player, and in others he seriously struggles to utilize that athleticism. Overall, his athletic profile needs a lot of polishing.
His playing strength is also inconsistent. When his feet are on the floor, he plays stronger and bigger than he is. When he leaves his feet, he seriously struggles to deal with and absorb contact. This limits his ceiling in multiple areas.
He got better throughout his year with Montverde, but he still has a lot of work to do before he’ll be an above average at-the-rim finisher in college. He has good touch, but elite finishing feel is required to make up for his athletic and physical limitations.
His handle has a long way to go before he’ll be able to create advantages against collegiate competition. He doesn’t have a loose handle, but it’s incredibly simple and easy to predict, making him very easy to defend when he puts the ball on the floor.
Because of his around-the-rim finishing struggles, he’s often forced to attempt in-between push shots and floaters, which isn’t a strong part of his game. If he’s consistently forced to attempt these looks, he won’t be much of an interior scorer in college.
His complete lack of a pull-up mid-range shooting game limits his ceiling from all three levels. Until he’s respected from that part of the floor, he won’t be able to create easy opportunities as an at-the-rim finisher.
He needs to seriously focus on his off-the-dribble creation from beyond the arc if he wants to become an all-around outside shooter. This is the strongest part of his game, and if he can strengthen his one weakness from this level, he’ll be one of the best shooters in the country by the time his college career comes to an end.
He’s a very weak passer in just about every way. He doesn’t make plays for his frontcourt teammates inside. He doesn’t throw kickout passes on his drives. He’s just an okay connective passer. He has a ton of work to do in this department.
His on-ball defense does worry me, especially for the first couple seasons of his college career. He’s not a great lateral mover, and he just doesn’t seem very comfortable defending ball handlers.
He’s a solid off-ball defender, but most of his defensive impact comes via his motor. That can only carry you so far. He’ll have to bulk up, improve laterally, and learn how to utilize his strength to his advantage before he becomes an above average all-around defender.
Hudson Greer is an incredibly fun prospect going to an incredibly fun program. Of all the incoming freshmen in the country, his fit at Creighton is one of my favorites. That said, he’s a very flawed player who likely won’t play much during his debut season, instead spending most of his time developing his game off the floor. That’s completely fine, because a polished and mature version of him could become one of the best shooting guards in the country by his upperclassmen seasons. I’m already confident projecting him to eventually be one of the best outside shooters in the country, which alone makes him an intriguing college contributor and professional prospect. If the rest of his game evolves, he could become one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in all of college basketball.
My hope is that Creighton brings in an elite floor general to play alongside Greer for his sophomore season. I don’t see one of those guys on this year’s team, and I think one of those players is a requirement to get the most out of Greer. That’s another reason why I don’t think he’ll play a ton this year. That said, Creighton has found success with those players (Ryan Nembhard and Steven Ashworth most recently) and I believe they’ll continue to do so in the future. All in all, I trust Creighton’s program more than just about any program in the country, and I expect them to put Greer in positions to succeed throughout his career. Everything is pointing upward for his long-term development, and I suspect he’ll emerge as a legitimate NBA prospect at some point during his college career.
Great write up! Hope you can do more of these on high school players!