Tag: Silvio De Sousa

Kansas and Kansas State players suspended, De Sousa to miss Texas game

KU and KSU had a heated brawl on Tuesday and players faced suspensions. Silvio De Sousa faces 12 games and will miss the game against Texas.

For most of the game on Tuesday night between Kansas and Kansas State, it was a normal game, with the Jayhawks taking care of business. Up 81-59 with the clock expiring, DaJuan Gordon stole the ball from Silvio De Sousa, rushing towards his basket. Attempting to put up a layup, De Sousa viciously blocked hit shot, sending it into the stands.

To this point, everything is fine and the buzzer sounds. That is until De Sousa steps over Gordon, looking down on him while celebrating his block. The Wildcats took exception to that and began a scuffle. From that point on, it was pure chaos. Both benches cleared. Players, coaches, cheerleaders, and security guards were involved, trying to restrain those involved.

You can watch the full sequence here:

Due to these actions, the Big 12 announced suspensions today for both Kansas and Kansas State players. Missing multiple games, De Sousa had the heaviest penalty as he is going to be suspended for 12 games.

Texas is on the schedule for one of the games De Sousa will miss and he will not be playing against the Longhorns. In the first matchup on Saturday, he only played two minutes but picked up three rebounds.

The second-longest suspension will be served by Kansas State’s James Love. He will be out for eight games and he will be eligible to return when the Wildcats play Texas on Feb. 22. Love did not play in the Jan. 11 matchup between the two schools.

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Kansas suspends player indefinitely before hosting Tennessee

Kansas suspends player indefinitely before hosting Tennessee.

LAWRENCE — Kansas basketball has suspended sophomore forward Silvio De Sousa indefinitely, just days before hosting Tennessee due to his participation in a bench-clearing brawl at the end of the Jayhawks’ win over Kansas State on Tuesday night.

It is unclear whether or not more players will join De Sousa in suspension, as several were involved in the fight that took place in the dying seconds of Kansas’ 81-60 victory over Kansas State.

De Sousa’s involvement stuck out however, when he picked up a stool, preparing to use it in the fight before being snatched out of his hand.

In De Sousa, the Jayhawks lose a 6-foot-9, 245-pound big man as they head into a matchup with the Vols in Allen Fieldhouse as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.

Formerly a highly-touted prospect out of IMG Academy, De Sousa has not had the production that was expected since arriving in Lawrence. The Angola native was averaging 2.6 points per game and 2.8 rebounds per contest before his suspension. In the win over Kansas State, De Sousa played only four minutes and registered two rebounds and three blocks without scoring.

Despite the limited role De Sousa has played for Kansas this season, Tennessee has struggled in dealing with similar length in the post, although the Vols received a boost when 7-foot, 240-pound redshirt freshman Uros Plavsic was ruled eligible. Plavsic has played in three games since, and averaged just over four points and one rebound per game.

Tennessee tips off against third-ranked Kansas at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, and it remains to be seen if De Sousa will be the only Jayhawk unavailable after Tuesday’s incident.

Jay Williams, Dick Vitale on possible punishments for Kansas’ Silvio De Sousa after brawl

Everyone agrees Silvio De Sousa should be suspended, but for how long?

Depending on who you ask, Kansas forward Silvio De Sousa should be suspended for a few games or for the rest of the college basketball season for one very specific moment in an all-out brawl at the end of the Kansas-Kansas State game Tuesday night.

With only a few seconds left in Kansas’ 81-60 win in Lawrence, Kansas State guard DaJuan Gordon stole the ball from De Sousa, who was dribbling out the clock. Gordon went in for a meaningless layup, De Sousa blocked the shot and Gordon landed on the court, where De Sousa taunted him.

Seconds later, dozens of people surrounded them for a scuffle that spilled into the stands.

But at one point amid all the chaos, De Sousa picked up a stool and had it over his head as if he was ready to swing it at someone. Before he could, what appeared to be an assistant coach standing behind him pulled the stool out of his hands.

Kansas coach Bill Self said he saw that moment in person and called it a “terrible image” and guaranteed consequences. But what should those be?

ESPN analysts Jay Williams and Richard Jefferson were among those who weighed in.

“This is not acceptable,” Williams said Wednesday on ESPN’s Get Up. “This is wrong. There shouldn’t be fights. But I also want to put this in perspective: This is a rivalry game. This is a rivalry game. And look, the kid made a play at the end. He stole the ball and got his shot blocked. This is a bigger issue with Silvio De Sousa. I think he will be suspended — and should be suspended.”

Tuesday night after the brawl, ESPN’s Dick Vitale called for a much harsher punishment for De Sousa for picking up the stool and raising it over his head, ready to hit someone with it.

Calling the brawl “absolutely sickening and unbelievable,” Vitale said:

“In 40 years I’m on TV, I haven’t seen anything like that, unless you go to the NBA and look at the Pistons brawl that took place in the Palace. I think there’s no doubt in my mind that De Sousa never, ever should put a uniform on again in college basketball. None. As Seth [Greenberg] said — and I couldn’t agree more — he’s holding a chair! I mean, that’s criminal. He’s going to hurt somebody.

“I don’t want to hear any excuse that they stole the ball with time running out, should have never done such. Give me a break. That was ugly! Where were the coaches, the assistants keeping their team on the bench? That’s the first rule: One assistant should take charge and make sure that no one gets there. It is sickening. There’s no place in the game. That was almost criminal what De Sousa has done. I’ll be shocked if he ever wears a [Kansas] uniform again.”

However, when discussing Vitale’s comments Wednesday on Get Up, Williams and Jefferson agreed that suspending De Sousa — who also did not play during the 2018-19 season because of a possible NCAA violation — for the remainder of the season is too severe of a punishment.

Williams called Vitale’s suggestion “a little bit extreme,” while Jefferson said, “That’s a little much,” and emphasized De Sousa should be reprimanded for his intent by picking up the stool in the first place.

Jefferson suggested up to 20 games with 13 regular-season matchups remaining on the Jayhawks’ schedule. He said:

“Even though he didn’t get a chance to use the chair, it wasn’t because he individually decided to put it down. It’s because someone took the chair out of his hand. He actually turned over his shoulder [as if to say,] ‘Who took my weapon?’ Right? He should be suspended for 15 to 20 games.”

Williams said “maybe 10 games” is a better suspension length:

“You know what’s really funny? We’re not allowed to be very harsh and critical on kids because they’re in college, and then also we are. The thing about being a kid is you’re going to make mistakes in the heat of the moment. There’s a learning opportunity there for Silvio De Sousa, and I don’t want to take away the whole season. Maybe, 10 games.”

No word yet on whether Kansas and Kansas State, the Big 12 or the NCAA — or a combination of all of the above — will deal out the suspensions or other penalties to De Sousa and others involved in Tuesday night’s brawl.

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