Hudson Mayes was always going to be a starter for UC San Diego’s basketball team.
The only question, really, was when.
“Hudson is one of the higher high school recruits we’ve ever had,” coach Clint Allard said. “He’s also one of the most prepared freshmen I’ve ever seen as well as one of the best guard rebounders and natural defenders.”
But Allard was asking Mayes to make a major positional change as he transitioned from one of California’s top high school programs to Division I. Mayes played all over at Redondo Union High School, sometimes guarding the post on defense.
“At UCSD,” he said, “they want me to handle the ball and be a playmaker … have my hands on the ball at the top of the offense.”
Allard said Mayes was “more prepared than most” to make the switch in his first college season.
“The more we see of him, the more we like his skills,” the coach said. “And Hudson has skills.”
That was apparent when Mayes first started working out with the Tritons last summer, shortly after turning 18. And it has become clear to everyone since he moved into UCSD’s starting lineup five games ago.
Since becoming a starter, Mayes has averaged 14.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game while playing 32 minutes a night as the Tritons’ most productive player. He scored 42 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished seven assists in a pair of UCSD wins last week. On Monday, he was named the Big West Conference’s player of the week.
Hudson Mayes #0 of UC San Diego celebrates on the court during their game against San Diego at LionTree Arena on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Mayes and the Tritons (18-9, 8-7) travel to UC Irvine on Saturday night to take on the Big West-leading Anteaters (18-9, 11-4). Irvine won the first meeting between the teams 61-59 on Jan. 24. Mayes had 12 points and three rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench. Five days later, he cracked the starting lineup for the first time.
Those close to Mayes aren’t surprised by his rise. Mayes started as a high school freshman for a Fairfax High School team that won a CIF Southern Section title. He transferred to Redondo Union, where he was named league MVP and an All-CIF pick as a senior.
Plus, he comes from a family of athletes. Mayes’ father, Derrick, is a former NFL wide receiver. His mother, Gayle Brown-Mayes, was a basketball and track star in high school. Mayes’ grandfather, Roger Brown, was a star in the American Basketball Association and is a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
“I come from a very athletic family that believed a strong education was critically important,” said Hudson, who is studying international business at UCSD’s acclaimed Thurgood Marshall College.
Allard called Mayes “very smart and well-rounded.”
Mayes moved into the starting lineup when forward Emanuel Prospere II was hurt, costing the Tritons some of their rebounding and defensive capabilities. Mayes filled those roles while expanding his impact on offense.
“Hudson arrived here as a strong defender,” Allard said. “The one thing he hadn’t done a lot of in high school was being the hands-on-ball player. Being the primary playmaker is where his future is. He can do so many things with the ball. He’s already an attacking, ball-to-the-rim player.
“The adjustment he had to make in college was getting repetitions with the ball in his hands as a guard. He’s gotten better through the season. Defensively, we’ve improved as a team and Hudson, a natural defender, is a big part of that.”
Hudson Mayes rises to shoot during UC San Diego’s win over UC Riverside on Saturday at LionTree Arena. (Josh Chew, UC San Diego athletics)
Said Mayes: “I pride myself on playing basketball the right way. I don’t think being a freshman in college has changed that approach.”
Mayes admits there are things he needs to improve, notably his 3-point shooting. But he says the step up to the college game “wasn’t a shock for me, even though the speed and atmosphere were different.”
“The more repetitions I get,” he said, “the better it is.”
UC San Diego (18-9, 8-7) vs. UC Irvine (18-9, 11-4)
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: Bren Events Center, Irvine
TV: Spectrum SportsNet
Radio: 97.3-FM