Big fight in Kansas-Kansas State game

[Da Coach]

The Big 12 Conference has issues a suspension to Kansas player Silvio De Sousa #22 in the white uniform in the videos above)for 12 games.
the Jayhawks' David McCormack (#33 in white) received a two-game ban. For Kansas State, James Love (bench player in the black shirt and street clothes) will miss eight games, and Antonio Gordon (#11 in purple) will miss three.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/28540541/kansas-silvio-de-sousa-gets-12-game-ban-big-12-suspends-four-brawl-vs-kansas-state

In addition to the four player suspensions, both programs were reprimanded by the Big 12 for players' leaving the bench area during the incident, which violates the conference's sportsmanship policy.

IMO, the teams got off easy. None of the players who left the bench for both teams were suspended, even though there is an NCAA rule that requires a 1-game suspension for leaving the bench when a fight occurs. Plus, there appeared to be others on both teams who were actually involved in the fight beyond the 2 players on each team who received suspensions.

[egib52]

DC I totally agree this was way too easy. If this was Murray State and Belmont they would make a statement by making both teams play shorthanded multiple games. De Sousa should be gone for the season, and Love probably should have gotten half a season. The biggest issue is that the Big 12 ignored the bench rule. This is the exact reason the rule was put into to place to prevent fights like that. Hopefully (but doubtful), the NCAA steps in.

[Da Coach]

It is just a little suspicious that they gave Kansas player Silvio De Sousa a 12-game suspension, instead of suspending him for the remainder of the season.
That ensures that he will return for their last regular-season game (Kansas has 13 games left before the Big 12 Tournament) and for the Big 12 Tournament, and all post-season games. He is not really that important of a player to Kansas, except that he provides depth, which isn't needed much until the postseason.

[Bradley3342]

What a punk! Can you imagine if that happened at a mid major like Bradley? I agree with Da Coach also. Self trying to save face by suspending him and taking the spotlight off himself!

[Jim]

In addition to the four player suspensions, both programs were reprimanded by the Big 12 for players' leaving the bench area during the incident, which violates the conference's sportsmanship policy.

IMO, the teams got off easy. None of the players who left the bench for both teams were suspended, even though there is an NCAA rule that requires a 1-game suspension for leaving the bench when a fight occurs. Plus, there appeared to be others on both teams who were actually involved in the fight beyond the 2 players on each team who received suspensions.

What does it mean "both teams were reprimanded by the Big 12..."? Have there been any explanations on why the players that left their benches were not suspended for at least one game? If Kansas or Kansas State would not have had enough players to play in their next game so be it. My guess is TV dollars influenced the decisions.
I would hope that if Bradley players were involved in an off the court brawl like this Coach Wardle to suspend the players himself, even if the team had to forfeit the game(s).

[Da Coach]

What does it mean "both teams were reprimanded by the Big 12..."? Have there been any explanations on why the players that left their benches were not suspended for at least one game? If Kansas or Kansas State would not have had enough players to play in their next game so be it....

First, these rulings were from the Big 12, so I suppose the NCAA could still intervene and issue more suspensions. However, I do not expect that to happen. "Reprimand" probably means what we think it does. Just a verbal slap and no real punishment.

The only explanation I have seen why bench players were not suspended as the NCAA rule requires, is a quote from Bruce Weber when he was interviewed yesterday about the suspensions or lack thereof by a reporter. Weber said that the players all thought the game was over, and thus they were leaving their benches to head for the exit to the locker rooms that happened to be at that end of the floor. I am simply not buying that weak excuse, and I cannot believe that even Bruce Weber believes that.

As we described above, the officials reviewed video and they determined the foul occurred before the clock expired. They put 1.0 second back on the clock and allowed the game to resume after the 2 technical free throws were shot by Kansas State, then end officially.
Regardless what the bench players "thought", they did indeed leave their benches before the game officially ended. And I saw no evidence that any of the bench players appeared to head for the locker room. Every one of them headed for the altercation, and although only a couple bench players were involved in the fighting, nonetheless, those bench players did head toward the fight, which could have aggravated the problem. That is exactly why the rule was made.

And by the way, there have been several incidences in the past where entire benches emptied during a fight. In those cases, all those players who did leave the bench received a minimum of 1-game suspensions per the NCAA rule. In order to keep those teams from having too few players for their next game, the suspensions were staggered with 2 or 3 different players sitting out each of the next couple games so each team still had enough players to compete and didn't have to forfeit games.

[Da Coach]

Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated also thinks Kansas and Silvio Da Sousa got off easy-

https://www.si.com/college/2020/01/23/silvio-de-sousa-gets-off-easy-kansas-kstate-brawl