The first block of the night came innocently enough, a short-armed swipe at Arkansas guard Rickey Scott’s layup with 7:55 left in the first half that was almost goaltending. It was one of Davis’ least impressive blocks of the season, but a block is a block, especially when it’s the 83^rd of the season.

The second block of the night was more like all those that came before it, a full-extension swat of Arkansas guard BJ Young’s drive with 4:52 left in the first half.

Record set.

Davis was taken out of the game to a round of applause for breaking UK’s single-season blocks record.

“It was a great night,” Davis said.

Fittingly enough, minutes after being put back in, Davis ended the first half with a buzzer-beating block. He ended up with a 19-game total of 89 blocks.

“My teammates were talking about that already,” Davis said. “They were saying, ‘we’re not even halfway through the season and you broke the blocks record.’ It’s a great accomplishment, especially for a freshman.”

Said Terrence Jones, “It’s going to be a high record once the season’s over.”

Jones had five blocks himself for the night and — as usual — couldn’t eclipse the Block King (who did more than just block shots, scoring a career-high 27 points with 14 rebounds).

The freshman is a safety valve for UK under the goal, erasing mistakes and allowing UK’s top-notch defense to extend itself without worrying about getting beat. Even if Davis doesn’t actually block a shot, he often alters it or forces a tougher one.

“We know we can go out and pressure the ball,” Marquis Teague said. “If we get beat, he’s there to help us and clean it up for us.”

Jones said Davis’ instincts and ability to wait for an opponent to shoot — a skill that’s half natural and half acquired — make him a “special” player.

Opponents are finding out just how special. His reputation now precedes him, and he usually lives up to it. During the game, Arkansas guard Mardracus Wade said he heard Davis tell his teammates, “bring them in here. I’m going to block everything.”

Davis was pretty much spot on.

If there’s one thing basketball players don’t like to do, it’s get stuffed. Davis’ penchant for doing just that is intimidating.

“When they come to the hole and they got to shoot the ball,” Davis said, “it’s definitely on their mind: Where’s Anthony Davis?”

Usually, it seems like he’s everywhere.

Opponents couldn’t hide from him on the court.

The record books couldn’t hide from him either.

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