Kingsley, Hogs say no reason to panic
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas center Moses Kingsley has yet to surpass his scoring average from last season in any of the Razorbacks’ six games this season.
Kingsley averaged 15.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots as a junior. The 6-10 senior’s scoring high this season is 15 points against Southern Illinois in the season opener.
Going into tonight’s game against Austin Peay in Walton Arena, Kingsley is averaging 10.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.3 blocked shots.
Those are solid numbers,
but not what was expected from Kingsley, the media’s choice for preseason SEC player of the year.
Kingsley said after Arkansas (5-1) beat Stephen F. Austin 78-62 Thursday night that
he’s not obsessing over his stats.
“The only thing that matters is we won,” he said. “All that other stuff, I feel like that’s going to come, because I’m working.
“It’s not like I’m just sitting on my butt. The scoring is going to come the way I’m working right now. I just have faith that it’s going to come.”
Kingsley is shooting 44.4 percent (20 of 45) from the field compared with 54.8 percent last season, and his attempts per game are down from 10.4 to 9.0.
“I guess I can say I’m worried, but I’m not really, really worried that much,” he said. “It’s not like we’re losing every game. We’re winning games right now. So it’s not that much of a big deal.”
Arkansas senior guard Dusty Hannahs said he’s confident Kingsley’s work ethic will pay off.
“I know once the competition rises, he’s also going to rise,” Hannahs said. “It’s coming. I’m not worried about it at all, honestly.”
Kingsley missed his only shot and hit 2 of 2 free throws in the first half against Stephen F. Austin, but he showed signs of being more aggressive on offense in the second half when he hit 4 of 4 shots and 2 of 3 free throws to finish with 12 points along with 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.
“He should have been doing that in the first half,” Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said. “At the beginning of the game, he’s a target. They’re going to make him work. They’re not just going to let him get it.
“So there’s got to be multiple efforts to get the ball, and we saw it in the second half.”
Kingsley scored on an offensive rebound a minute into the second half and ran the floor well for fast-break baskets.
“A lot of times as Moses goes, our team goes,” Anderson said. “They follow his lead. When he came out in the second half and tipped that ball in and he started getting real involved, it just got contagious with our guys.”
Former Arkansas AllSEC guard Pat Bradley, who worked the Stephen F. Austin game as a color analyst for the SEC Network telecast, said Kingsley needs to regain the hungry attitude he played with last season when he replaced 2015 SEC player of the year Bobby Portis in the starting lineup after being a backup for two seasons.
“Moses had that chip on his shoulder last year,” Bradley said. “When you’re an unknown and you want to be known, you’re consumed with that. He played with rage and emotion feeling like, ‘I’ve got to prove something every single day in practice and every single game.’ Now he’s a known. He’s coming in as the SEC player of the year, and I think he’s trying to control all that emotion he had.
“I think he’s got to find a way to get back to that underdog role, because Moses Kingsley being aggressive is bad news for anybody Arkansas plays, I guarantee you that.”
Kingsley said Anderson has told him he has to start playing with more passion.
“I love the game, but sometimes I just don’t want to go all crazy and stuff because I made a play,” Kingsley said. “I just want to keep playing. Next play, next play.
“But Coach told me it’s OK to show a little emotion. When I show emotion, it helps the energy and spikes up the whole team.”
Bradley said Kingsley is adjusting to drawing more defensive attention.
“He’s at the top of everybody’s scouting report, so teams are going to defend him like he’s never been defended before,” Bradley said. “They’re
going to try to front him and play him on his left side, his right side, and try to bump him off his spot.
“There are a lot of challenges he’s never faced before because now he’s a marked man.”
Arkansas has seven newcomers, including junior college transfers Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon, who are the team’s second- and third-leading scorers this season behind Hannahs.
“We’re going to give Moses the ball whenever he wants it,” Macon said after the Razorbacks beat Mount St. Mary’s 89-76 Tuesday night. “He’s the best big man in the SEC.
“At the same time, when you’ve got guards that are known scorers, there’s going to be some times he doesn’t get it.”
Bradley said getting used to playing with new guards after the loss of Jabril Durham — who is playing professionally in Sweden after having 204 assists for the Razorbacks last season — also is affecting Kingsley.
“There are a lot of new faces that are learning the offense and when Moses wants the ball, where he wants the ball,” Bradley said. “Moses continues to learn, too. He’s still a fresh sort of talent.
“We’ve seen before that Moses has what it takes to be a dominant player. Now it’s up to him to make sure he brings that mentality of attack, attack, attack — ‘I’m the baddest, toughest dude on this court right now’ — every game.”