Kansas basketball and the Sunflower Throwdown, Jan. 21
Kansas basketball hosted their in-state rival Kansas State and defeated the Wildcats 81-60 behind a 20 points performance from Kansas-native Christian Braun. That wasn’t what captured national media attention though.
As time was winding down, Kansas was dribbling the clock out when the ball was stolen by Kansas State. DaJuan Gordon dribbled down the court, went up for a layup, and was swatted by Silvio De Sousa as time expired.
De Sousa stood over Gordon, and the Kansas State bench rushed the floor. From that point on, it was pandemonium with punches flying from both sides:
The brawl became national news almost instantly. It transcended college basketball for a time and became a talking point for almost every media outlet in the country.
Here’s some of what head coach Bill Self had to say after the game:
"“It’s not something to be proud of. What happened showed zero signs of toughness. It’s a sign of immaturity and selfishness more so than toughness.” via NBC Sports"
The worst part for Kansas was the image of De Sousa holding a stool above his head despite not ever swinging it. Dick Vitale even called De Sousa’s actions “criminal.”
The perception was awful, and De Sousa was suspended for 12 games by the Big 12 as a result. Kansas’ David McCormack was also suspended for two games, while Kansas State’s James Love III was suspended eight games and Antonio Gordon got three games.