Gameday At BWA Q&A: Moses Kingsley

GAMEDAY AT BWA Q&A – Moses Kingsley (@KingMoses_)
At 6-foot-10, sophomore Moses Kingsley poses a formidable figure to Razorbacks’ opponents. The Abuja, Nigeria native may have height and stature in his favor, but he is a team player through and through. Second-best on the team in both offensive rebounds and blocks, Kingsley is a multifaceted player. Kingsley has been a key contributor this season, but his best basketball is yet to come.

You’re in your second season with the Razorbacks. What has been the most important thing you learned last year to help you this season?
“I think I really know my role on the team now. I know that I don’t have to try to do things that I haven’t done in practice. I really try to carry practice through to games and that’s how I can most effectively help my teammates.”

What did you primarily focus on, training wise, in the off season to step up your game?
“I shot a lot. I shot a lot of free throws and I shot a lot of perimeter shots.”

You’re one of the leading offensive rebounders on the team. How do you maintain offensive intensity throughout games?
“I’m just always trying to go hard after the ball. I really focus on getting as many offensive rebounds as I can get my hands on. But really, before every game, I try to tell myself not to worry specifically about offense. I just want to help my team by getting rebounds, by blocking shots, stuff like that.” 

Arkansas is second in the nation in assists per game. What do you think this statistic says about the team?
“It says that we’re not selfish. We pass the ball and we don’t care who scores. It definitely speaks to the chemistry of the team and the trust we have. You trust a teammate when you pass them the ball. You know that you don’t have to take the shot because you trust your teammate enough that if you pass it to him, you know he’s going to finish.”

You worked at a local Boys and Girls Club over the summer. Talk about your experience.
“It was very fun. I got to be around kids a lot and I don’t ordinarily get to do that. So it was a great experience.” 

What do you like most about doing philanthropy work?
“To me, it’s like giving back to the community. Because the kids see us as role models and want to be like us. So it’s great to be able to interact with the kids and be a mentor for them.”

Arkansas recently suffered tough losses to No. 14 Iowa State and Clemson. What has the team taken from those losses to be stronger going forward?
“We’ve really been working on finishing since those games. Also, we’re a good defensive team, but we weren’t focused defensively in those games, especially against Iowa State. So we’re trying to fix that. We can’t have any defensive breakdowns anymore.”

Defensively, you’re one of the leading blockers on the team. What makes you so effective in this area of play?
“I’m just always trying to help my teammates out when they get beat. So I try to come from the outside or the back side to try and block a shot for them.”

You’re less than a month away from the beginning of conference play. What has the team been focusing on to prepare for SEC competition?
“We’re working harder everyday as the season goes on. We don’t want to be the same team that you’re seeing now in January. We want to improve all the time. We’re really focusing in on rebounding because if we can perfect rebounding, we have a chance to win a lot of games. We need to be aggressive since we’re a running team.”