Moses Kingsley

Classroom

The Abuja, Nigeria, native grew up in a family that valued education, but the instability of the educational system combined with the random acts of violence in his home country caused significant challenges in completing his goal of getting his college degree. Moses Kingsley had a love for soccer, but as he grew in stature, his interest in basketball began to blossom. It was then that basketball helped provide an opportunity to come to the United States through an exchange student program to seek an education and further his career on the court. Kingsley spent time with host families in Mississippi and West Virginia before coming to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to attend college. Now blessed with the many benefits of being a student-athlete in the Southeastern Conference, Kingsley is making the most of his opportunity to fulfill the dream of his father: for all of his children to have an education. He has a 3.54 GPA and is scheduled to graduate on time this coming spring. He is a three-time SEC All-Academic Team member with aspirations of Academic All-America honors during his senior year.

Character

Kingsley has made quite a journey in quest of his college education and his future in basketball. It is a journey that has included an inadvertent name change and learning to speak English to adapt to his new home. When coming to America, a clerical error reversed his birth name on his visa from Kingsley Moses to Moses Kingsley. With that, a new identity of sorts was created, one indicative of his ever-changing life story. A young man striving to become a leader, he was named to the SEC Basketball Leadership Council, was the lone SEC male representative at the NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum and is a member of the Razorback Leadership Academy. While his presence on the court is known nationally, his impression off the hardwood is life-changing.

Community

When you uproot your life and start over 6,000 miles from home, sometimes community is all you have. Kingsley has dedicated his life in the United States to helping people. As a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), he has spearheaded fundraising events for his basketball team aimed at students and local community members. As an intern at the local Boys & Girls Club, Kingsley’s new family is right here in Arkansas. He has served as a mentor/instructor for the Special Olympics, helped victims of the horrific tornado damage at Mayflower High School and participated in the Baton Rouge Relief Operation to help flood victims. He was named to the 2015 SEC Community Service Team and continues to give back to a community he now calls home.

Competition

After averaging just 10.6 minutes per game as a sophomore playing behind eventual first-round pick Bobby Portis, Kingsley got his shot in 2015-16 and took full advantage. He was one of eight high-major players in the country with 16 double-doubles on the year and one of three players in the nation with multiple games of 20 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks. He earned second-team All-SEC honors, was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team and picked up USBWA All-District VII honors. After testing the waters in the NBA Draft, Kingsley opted to return to school for his senior and the expectations could not be any higher. He is the SEC Preseason Player of the Year and on the watch list for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award as the best center in the country.