Kansas basketball: Mitch Lightfoot may have to return due to suspensions

We’re getting out first look at the fallout from the now-infamous Kansas basketball brawl. Will Bill Self have to pull Mitch Lightfoot’s redshirt due to suspensions?

Mitch Lightfoot could end up playing this season after all. The first suspension from the viral Kansas basketball vs. Kansas State fight has come down and it hit the easiest target: Silvio De Sousa.

Everyone knew that De Sousa would probably get hit the hardest, regardless of whether or not he deserved it. Bill Self announced that De Sousa would be suspended “indefinitely,” which really doesn’t mean anything at this point.

Indefinitely could mean one game or the entire season, but it looks like Kansas will let the Big 12 decide on the exact number of games:

"“I have suspended Silvio De Sousa indefinitely pending the final outcome of the review by KU and the Big 12 Conference. As I said last night, we are disappointed in his actions and there is no place in the game for that behavior.” – Bill Self via Gary Bedore"

Self and the Big 12 have yet to announce any other suspensions, but one of the most likely candidates to be suspended (on the Kansas side) is David McCormack. The big man was in the thick of things during the fight, as evidenced here:

If McCormack and De Sousa wind up being suspended for an extended period of time, it would leave the Kansas frontcourt extremely thin. The Jayhawks would be forced to play differently, utilizing Christian Braun and Tristan Enaruna at the four and five positions whenever Udoka Azubuike needs a break.

Then again, there’s always cult hero Mitch Lightfoot.

Lightfoot made the decision to redshirt this season, due to the difficulty he’d have finding minutes behind De Sousa, McCormack, and Azubuike. He’d have one year of eligibility left after this season if he continues redshirting. If he returns, he could easily play behind Azubuike and keep the Jayhawks from having to improvise.

Of course, both McCormack and De Sousa would have to receive massive suspensions from the conference for this scenario to happen, and that doesn’t seem likely at this point.

However unlikely, it’s nice that Kansas has a backup plan, just in case. The Jayhawks will need Lightfoot next year too, so hopefully, he won’t have to save the day.