Former IMG player suspended indefinitely for role in Kansas-Kansas State brawl
Kansas forward Silvio De Sousa, who played at Bradenton’s IMG Academy, was at the center of the melee that took place inside Allen Fieldhouse at the conclusion of the Jayhawks’ 81-60 victory over in-state rival Kansas State.
Now he’s suspended indefinitely.
KU head coach Bill Self announced “the suspension is indefinite ‘pending the final outcome of the review by KU and the Big 12,’” according to CBS Sports.
The suspension is indefinite “pending the final outcome of the review by KU and the Big 12,” he announced.
Near the end of the game, De Sousa was attempting to dribble out the clock on a 21-point blowout victory. K-State’s DaJuan Gordon stole the ball in the closing seconds and raced the other way for a layup.
De Sousa, a junior, blocked the shot and stood over Gordon as both teams flocked to the area. That’s when the brawl took place, which saw De Sousa and others throw punches. De Sousa even grabbed a chair as the fight spilled into the crowd near one of the baskets.
Lakewood Ranch resident and ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale criticized the events during the Duke-Miami broadcast on ESPN, according to Sports Illustrated.
“Well, just absolutely sickening, unbelievable. The 40 years I’m on TV, I haven’t seen anything like that, unless you go to the NBA and the Pistons’ brawl that took place at the Palace. I think there’s no doubt in my mind that De Sousa never, ever should put a uniform on in college basketball again,” Vitale said. “He’s holding a chair. I mean, that’s criminal! He’s going to hurt somebody! I mean, I don’t want to hear any excuse that ‘They stole the ball with time running out, they should never have done such a thing.’ Give me a break. That was ugly.”
This story was originally published January 22, 2020 at 3:25 PM.
