Big 12 suspends Kansas' De Sousa 12 games for role in brawl
The Big 12 suspended Kansas forward Silvio De Sousa 12 games and Kansas State forward James Love eight games for their roles in Tuesday's brawl between both schools, the conference announced Wednesday.
Jayhawks sophomore David McCormack and Wildcats freshman Antonio Gordon were also banned for two and three games, respectively.
Both programs were reprimanded for violating the Big 12 sportsmanship policies, as players from each school left their benches during the incident.
"This kind of behavior cannot be tolerated and these suspensions reflect the severity of last evening's events," Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby said in a statement. "I am appreciative of the cooperation of both institutions in resolving this matter."
De Sousa will miss the next meeting between both clubs and is eligible to return for the Jayhawks' final regular-season game. The 21-year-old was at the center of the melee, engaging in a physical altercation with Gordon, which spilled into the stands.
At one point, De Sousa picked up a chair and appeared ready to swing it before it was pulled away from him. Hours before the Big 12's decision, Kansas head coach Bill Self suspended him indefinitely.
De Sousa's tenure with the Jayhawks has been mired in controversy. He was ruled ineligible to play last season due to his connection with the Adidas corruption scandal.
I’m sorry for my actions last night, please read this: pic.twitter.com/cmkEO0I5Ax
— Silvio De Sousa ™ (@SilvioDeSousa5) January 23, 2020
McCormack has been a key starter for Kansas over the past two seasons. He's averaging 7.5 points on 55.9% shooting while also adding 4.7 boards per contest across 18 appearances.
Meanwhile, Love's suspension will keep him out of key games against No. 14 West Virginia and top-ranked Baylor. However, Kansas State will have Gordon available for their showdown against the Bears. The Oklahoma native is averaging five points in 19.9 minutes per game, mostly as a reserve.
"I'm extremely disappointed in our team's actions in the aftermath of last night's game at Kansas," Wildcats head coach Bruce Weber said, according to Kellis Robinett of The Kansas City Star. "They do not reflect what our program is about here at K-State."
Weber added: "Our team will live with the consequences of those actions and move forward in a positive manner. Our focus going forward is to help our players learn from this situation and ensure that it never happens again."