Hughes graduated from Walnut Hills High School, in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1991, and afterwards, he attended Thomas More College.

He left Thomas More as the school's all-time scoring leader with 2,605 points, and currently holds ten additional records.

[citation needed] Not drafted as a senior, Hughes was forced to go the free agent route, earning a spot with the Phoenix Suns, for the Summer Pro League in Los Angeles.

[citation needed] After a stint with the Dallas Mavericks, he went back to Europe, in January 2000, and began the next step in his pro career.

This biographical article relating to a United States basketball player, coach, or other figure born in the 1970s is a stub.