Kansas basketball’s Silvio De Sousa has been banned by the NCAA for the remainder of the 2018-19 college basketball season and next season due to improper benefits received by his guardian.
The NCAA released its verdict on the matter Friday evening, noting “According to the facts provided for purposes of the reinstatement request, De Sousa’s guardian received payment of $2,500 from an agent and booster of the school. He agreed to accept additional payment of $20,000 from the same individual and an Adidas employee for securing De Sousa’s enrollment at Kansas.”
Whether the student-athlete (De Sousa, in this case) knew about or received any benefit from a guardian receiving money or benefits, the student-athlete is held responsible for the action of their guardian, the report notes.
Kansas head coach Bill Self was understandably livid about this ruling and ripped into the NCAA after the news broke.
“In my 30-plus years of coaching college basketball, I have never witnessed such a mean-spirited and vindictive punishment against a young man who did nothing wrong,” he said, per Jeff Borzello of ESPN.
As the case was being investigated, De Sousa has not played a single game all year for the Jayhawks. The 20-year-old Angolan will therefore miss two full seasons due to this ruling.