MEN’S BASKETBALL: Hogs Guard Does It Again

FAYETTEVILLE — Maybe it’s finally time to add Arkansas sophomore guard Patrick Beverley to death and taxes as a sure thing.

It’s almost a foregone conclusion Beverley is going to lead the Razorbacks in rebounding every time they take the court.

Only 6-foot-1, Beverley has a unique ability to elevate his game for his stature to epic proportions.

In six of his last seven games, Beverley has had double figures in rebounding, and in three of his last four games he’s recorded a double-double.

That’s why it came as no surprise Beverley had a team-high 13 rebounds and scored 17 points in his team’s 75-69 win against Ole Miss in front of 19,916 satisfied fans in Bud Walton Arena on Saturday.

What gives?

“Huh ... I was just in the right place at the right time,” Beverley said. “Battling against (Arkansas center) Steven Hill, (Hogs forwards) Darian Townes and Mike Washington every day, makes it easy in the game.”

Really, finding a basketball player the size of Beverley with the ability to crash the boards is about as rare as finding a phone booth, a full-service gas station or a drive-in movie.

“He is rare,” Razorbacks senior swingman Sonny Weems said. “I can’t explain it. He just is double-double man. We call him that in practice. You know, he’s a player. A player makes plays.”

Weems said he expected Beverley to continue his reputation gained by ability and achievement.

“We see that in practice all the time, he’s a wild dude,” Weems said. “He hustles more than anybody in practice. He’s everywhere. He’s diving on the floor, in the stands, on the scoreboard, and when nobody’s in the stands, he’s diving. He’s a tough player.

“He brings his practice to the game, every time.”

Razorbacks 6-foot-10 forward Darian Townes could only chuckle when the subject of Beverley’s rebounding was broached.

“I don’t know how the guy gets ’em,” Townes said. “He’s so fast. He’s really hungry for rebounds. By us boxing some of the big guys out, he gets them.

“His energy and intensity level is extremely high. That’s one thing, he’s real greedy on rebounds instead of points. On rebounds he’s real greedy.

“I like a player like that.”

Beverley, like always, tried to camouflage his contribution.

“I think everybody as a team played great today,” Beverley said. “Not one person did it.

“We played as a team.”