Moses Statistics
Games Played - 8
Field Goals - 14-28 (50 percent)
Rebounds - 31
Assists - 5
Blocks - 10
For Ball State men’s basketball, rim protection comes in the form of its 6-foot-9-freshman center Trey Moses.
That’s an aspect of basketball that not every team possesses. This protection is the ability to play above the rim on defense on nearly every defensive possession.
This doesn’t mean every possession has to end with a blocked shot. If the defender alters an opponent’s attempt at a layup or drive to the paint using his vertical reach and wingspan, then he has done his job.
On Dec. 1, Moses did that job. He posted career numbers in points and blocks. He finished the game with 10 points, five rebounds, four blocks and a steal in 24 minutes of action.
“I’ve really focused on getting stronger, being able to jump higher and being able to get off the floor a little quicker,” Moses said. “In high school, I was the biggest guy, but now in college, people are bigger, stronger and quicker.”
In high school, Moses helped his team to a 22-9 record his junior year while being named All-Seventh Region Second Team.
After the Cardinals' home win against Valparaiso on Nov. 28, head coach James Whitford acknowledged Moses as the “rim protector.”
“He’s great; he really helps our team on defense,” Whitford said. “He gets blocks against good players, he gets them up by the square.”
The square Whitford referred to is the 24-by-18-inch taped square on the backboard that is posted right above the 10-foot rim.
“He really impacts the game defensively,” Whitford said of his freshman player. “He makes everybody better — if one guy gets beat, he comes over and makes it hard [to play] the ball.”
This season, Moses is fourth on the team in rebounds with 31, and he is the only Cardinal to have double-digit blocks with 10.
Although Ryan Weber led the team with 12 points by connecting on four 3-pointers, he still gave Moses praise for his defensive ability.
“It’s kind of a relief,” Weber said. “It’s not like we’re letting guys go past us, but we know that if they do get all the way to the rim, we have guys like [Moses] or Nate [Wells] — it’s a confidence boost.”
After the Dec. 1 61-58 win against IUPUI, Ball State is 6-2 on the year. Moses is averaging 4.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, and he’s shooting 50 percent from the field.
It appears that Moses has found his niche in this Ball State system.
“He’s an incredibly talented freshman, and he’s a way better person than he is a player,” Whitford said. “He’s a really good player.”
Ball State will continue its home stretch at 2 p.m. Dec. 5 against New Orleans.
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