KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Otterbein University combo guard Jack Clement has been named to the Top-25 Watch List for the inaugural Trevor Hudgins Award, recognizing the top overall senior in Small College Basketball.
 
The new award was recently announced at the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Ceremony back in November inside the Polk Theatre in Lakeland, Fla. It will now be presented annually to the senior who has had the finest overall four-year (or longer) career within NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, USCAA or NCCAA.
 
Considerations focus on overall career statistics and achievements, team achievements, awards and personal character. The player must have played his entire career at the small college level, with this now becoming the highest honor given to a minimum four-year player under the umbrella.
 
FULL TOP 25 WATCH LIST
 
The list will be trimmed to 15 players come March 1 before a video unveils the finalists on April 5. The winner will then be announced through another video at halftime of the NCAA Division I national championship game on Monday, April 8.
 
Clement, playing his fifth year of eligibility at Otterbein, currently leads the Cardinals and ranks top five in the Ohio Athletic Conference for minutes (31.8) and points (16.4) per game. He is also sixth in three-point percentage, shooting nearly 40% behind the arc.
 
Prior to his time at Otterbein, Clement enjoyed a stellar four-year run at nearby Ohio Wesleyan where he finished with second team NABC All-American honors. The shifty guard landed seventh nationally in scoring (24.1) as a true senior and now has 1,715 career points since the beginning of his college career.
 
“Jack is very deserving of this consideration when you recognize the amount of time he puts into bettering himself, but also working on ways to lift others,” head coach Andy Winters said. “Very few guys have been able to enjoy an extended career of individual accolades mirroring team improvements. He has adjusted to a new program (with new teammates) this year, and I think you’ve seen us all take positive steps forward. We are grateful that he’s been part of this team in his final season. It feels like he has always been a member of the program.”
 
Clement helped improve OWU each year with the team going 12-14, 6-6 (Covid), 15-11 and 16-10 across his time as a Battling Bishop. He then transferred to Otterbein and worked to create new roles alongside a slew of fellow teammates, including reigning first team All-OAC standout Cam Evans in the backcourt. In addition to his scoring, Clement also ranks second on the team in rebounding and assists at the moment.
 
Otterbein (13-7, 7-6 OAC) is one game back of third place in the rugged conference standings while Clement is enrolled in the Master’s of Allied Health graduate program. He recorded above a 3.30 GPA his first semester.
 
Two other conference standouts also grace the Top 25 Watch List in star big man Christian Parker (Mount Union) and former Baldwin Wallace guard Anthony Mazzeo, now spending his fifth year at nationally-ranked Case Western Reserve.
 
Arguably the best Small College Basketball player ever, Trevor Hudgins led Northwest Missouri State to three consecutive NCAA Division II national championships. The dynamic guard started every game and led the Bearcats to a remarkable 17-0 record in the NCAA Tournament. His teams finished with a combined record of 131-8.
  
Hudgins repeated as NCAA Division II National Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022. He finished his career with 2,829 points, ranking second all-time in Division II history, before landing the prestigious Bevo Francis Award. In 2022, Hudgins was selected by the Houston Rockets on a dual contract with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA G League, and now currently plays for Le Mans in France.

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