Mike Anderson: Dick Vitale's criticism of Moses Kingsley unjustified

Arkansas coach Mike Anderson motions during an SEC Tournament game against Kentucky on Sunday, March 12, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn.
Arkansas coach Mike Anderson motions during an SEC Tournament game against Kentucky on Sunday, March 12, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas men's basketball Coach Mike Anderson, appearing as a guest Monday on the SEC Network's Paul Finebaum Show, said longtime college basketball analyst Dick Vitale "went overboard" in criticizing Arkansas center Moses Kingsley for his actions near the end of Sunday's SEC championship game against Kentucky.

Vitale was critical about a hard foul by Kingsley, who was assessed a Flagrant 2 and ejected for hitting Kentucky's De'Aron Fox while trying to block a shot with 1:02 remaining. On the ESPN telecast, Vitale said Arkansas should "show some class."

About Kingsley, Vitale said: "You don't want to be that kind of player and get that kind of reputation. It follows you around. When you think you're tough and you start to do things in illegal fashion that is not toughness. That's weakness."

Anderson said he was particularly upset with Vitale's comments because Vitale came into the Arkansas locker room before Sunday's 82-65 loss to Kentucky at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., and didn't know Kingsley's name.

"He was calling him, 'Beasley,' " Anderson said. "For him to not know the guy and to go on and talk about it's bush league and this and that -- no.

"For people to attack these kids and talk about our program, that's way out of character. We run a first-class organization and emotions got out of hand."

The Razorbacks committed two flagrant fouls in the final 65 seconds in Sunday's game.

Anderson said Kingsley and Dusty Hannahs, who was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul for setting a hard screen 13 seconds earlier, weren't trying to be malicious.

"It was a hard foul and the officials did what they were supposed to do, and got him out of the game," Anderson said of Kingsley.

During video replays of Kingsley's foul and his subsequent removal, Vitale said Kingsley didn't want to develop a reputation as a dirty player.

"You lose, you lose like a man," Vitale said." You shake their hand, you walk out. There's no place for this, none whatsoever, in the game.

"For everyone watching, kids out there playing the game, don't emulate that. That doesn't make you a man. That makes you a mouse."

Vitale followed Anderson later on Finebaum and offered no apology.

"All we needed there is for a player to throw a punch and who knows what would have transpired?," Vitale said. "So I'm going to apologize for that? Give me a break."

Anderson, meanwhile, said Arkansas-Kentucky is a competitive game and emphasized that while there were some hard fouls, he did not believe either of the two fouls involved malicious intent.

"Let's flip the script now, OK?" Anderson said. "Duke has a kid [Grayson Allen] that's had some incidents, I mean, intentional ones.

"All of sudden, a kid gets one flagrant foul. ..."

Finebaum interrupted Anderson at that point to clarify if the Arkansas coach was talking about Vitale.

"That's who we're talking about," Anderson said, "And I just think he went overboard with it. ... There was no intent. Moses didn't hit the guy in the face or anything like that. It's unfortunate, but in a competitive game of that magnitude, the Hogs and the 'Cats. ... When the SEC was at its height, that's who it is."

Anderson said it was time to move on.

"No one fought, the game got over, Kentucky won, congratulations to them, and let's turn the page," he said.

Sports on 03/14/2017

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