Rocking Royal Hoops » Why BYU's Marya Hudgins joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The BYU basketball programs (yes, plural!) had a really good weekend shortly after Valentine's Day.

First, the men's team beat Kansas State 80-65 at the Marriott Center in a game that honored the life of former Cougar cager Jake Shoff. BYU head coach Kevin Young said he wanted to win for Shoff and his family, including wife Emily and four sons who were in attendance Saturday night and in the postgame locker room — and BYU did so in a way that Shoff would've been proud to watch.

Earlier Saturday, the BYU women's basketball team earned its first AP Top 25 win since last February, 68-64 over then-No. 20 Oklahoma State in the biggest win of the year for head coach Amber Whiting.

But a day after the game, the Cougars celebrated an even bigger milestone: the baptism of junior guard Marya Hudgins, who joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after several months of learning, studying and example of her teammates and coaches — particularly, associate head coach Lee Cummard, his wife Sarah and the couple's children.

Hudgins, who is the biggest Taylor Swift fan on the team, joined the Rocking Royal podcast to talk about her season, deciding to medically redshirt and return to BYU for two more years, and her decision to be baptized. 

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