Hog Calls

It's always wise to get help from Moses

Arkansas' Moses Kingsley (33) attempts to dunk the ball as he is hit by Dayton's Dyshawn Pierre, left, during the second half Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014, at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville.
Arkansas' Moses Kingsley (33) attempts to dunk the ball as he is hit by Dayton's Dyshawn Pierre, left, during the second half Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014, at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- It was a blue sea rather than a red sea that this Moses parted.

But part it Moses did.

Through a sea of blue-clad Dayton Flyers, Moses Kingsley parted space as he grabbed a rebound on one end and weaved his way all the way to the other end of the floor for a layup during the Arkansas Razorbacks' 69-55 victory Saturday at Walton Arena.

It would have been eye-catching performed by a ball-handling point guard, but it was more like a Ripley's Believe It Or Not moment given that Kingsley is a 6-10 center.

"He did a tremendous job showcasing handling the ball with that Euro-step," Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said after the game. "That is impressive for a 6-9 kid to go coast to coast with it in traffic. I am glad he made it."

Very, very glad it turned out, given Anderson's answer Monday night to a question from one of his radio show audience at a local restaurant.

"I'll be honest, he does try to do it in practice and I just get all over him," Anderson said. "So I am so glad he made it in the game."

The coach couldn't have griped too much even had Kingsley turned it over. Kingsley packed 4 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocked shots into 11 minutes off the bench, as well as another play that took Anderson's breath away following Kingsley's coast-to-coast drive..

"The next play he takes a charge," Anderson said. "That tells me what Moses is all about, and that is embodying winning. You look at his minutes -- four rebounds in that time, his presence on defense blocking shots -- he probably plays the most efficient of all the guys."

Kingsley's 11 minutes of efficiency meant no break for Dayton when he subbed in for 6-10 sophomore starter Bobby Portis. Portis' 28 minutes included game highs of 18 points and 9 rebounds plus 1 blocked, 1 assist and 2 steals.

Anderson didn't wait for the radio audience to ask why not double down and play Portis and Kingsley together?

"You are going to see him with Bobby," Anderson said. "I know I have said that time and time again, but this particular period I think it's time to get those guys working together and see how it goes."

Anderson said the break between last Saturday's game and this Saturday's game allows more practice time during which he can pair the big men together.

"We have got some practice time, so we actually get a chance to really work on a lot of that so we can have sort of like the twin towers," Anderson said. "They have played together before."

Their shot-blocking together would make Arkansas doubly defensive, but don't expect to see them together for extended periods.

Playing them simultaneously for extended periods can get them simultaneously tired and/or in simultaneous foul trouble.

As well as they spell each other, Anderson would abhor long spells of trying to spell them both.

Sports on 12/17/2014

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