'As bad as it gets': Brawl breaks out at Kansas-Kansas State basketball game

Players and fans were embroiled in the clash as tensions boiled over

A massive brawl erupted near the end of the latest game of a storied college basketball rivalry on Tuesday night. Players from Kansas and Kansas State mixed it up in an ugly scene that left fans scattering and one player brandishing a chair before an assistant coach took it from him.

Kansas coach Bill Self told reporters in a weekly conference call on Wednesday morning that his school is communicating with Big 12 officials, with no official suspension or penalties yet determined. Self said he had reviewed video of the fight and promised, "There will be consequences."

ESPN's Dick Vitale tweeted that the incident was, in his 40 years at the network, "as bad as it gets" and "so sad [and] embarrassing for a program rich in tradition." He called for the Big 12 Conference to "come down heavily" on those involved.

The fight came as No. 3 Kansas was blowing out its visiting rival in Lawrence's Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas forward Silvio De Sousa appeared to be dribbling out the clock near midcourt as the final seconds ticked down in the Jayhawks' 81-60 win when Kansas State's DaJuan Gordon stole the ball and headed for a layup. De Sousa tracked him down, forcefully blocked the shot and made a point of standing over Gordon, who had fallen to the floor.

The play unfolded near the Wildcats' bench, and some of their players got up from their seats to confront De Sousa, which sparked the brawl as Kansas players also ran to the scene. Some players appeared to throw punches, including De Sousa, who picked up a chair and held it over his head before KU assistant Jerrance Howard intervened.

Players from the Kansas State Wildcats and the Kansas Jayhawks brawl during a game at the Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas (Getty Images)

Meanwhile, fans positioned near the basket scattered as security personnel, coaches and even cheerleaders tried to restrain players.

"Obviously it's an embarrassment," Self said 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."

"It's probably my fault," Wildcats coach Bruce Weber told reporters. "I had told them not to press, not to foul. I had told them to back off, but the kids are young guys. They want to play hard. They were disappointed and frustrated. You don't want to take that fire out of their belly, but at the same time, you have to handle it right. I guess it created a bad thing."

'It's probably my fault,' said Wildcats coach Bruce Weber (Getty Images)

Self said he didn't see the start of the brawl because he was already shaking hands with Weber as Gordon was dribbling toward the hoop. "But I know that we were in the wrong - I'm not saying that both parties weren't in the wrong, but I know that we were in the wrong," he said.

Jeff Long, the Kansas athletic director, said in a statement that "the conduct of a few of our student-athletes at the conclusion of tonight's game vs. Kansas State was simply unacceptable and not reflective of who we are.

"Coach Self and I will review the incident, along with the Big 12 Conference and Kansas State to determine appropriate consequences. There is no place for this conduct in college athletics or here at KU. I would like to apologize to the Big 12 Conference, Kansas State University, [K-State AD] Gene Taylor, [K-State coach] Bruce Weber and all fans for the lack of sportsmanship from members of our team this evening."

The brawl was described as 'sad' and 'embarrassing' (Getty Images)

In addition to De Sousa, Kansas' Marcus Garrett and David McCormick were involved as were Kansas State's James Love and David Sloan, the first Wildcats player to run to Gordon.

"We came here wanting to have a game and compete, and we didn't compete like we needed to," Weber said. "There was probably a little frustration, especially the young guys. You wish it would have ended a little different, and it didn't. That's sad."

As De Sousa stood over and taunted Gordon, he was given a technical foul. Five players were ejected and officials sent players to the locker rooms. Refs then called the Jayhawks (15-3, 5-1 Big 12) and Wildcats (8-10, 1-5) back onto the court and put one-tenth of a second on the clock so KSU's Pierson McAtee could attempt the technical free throws. He made one and the game was over.

Of Gordon's decision to steal the ball from De Sousa, Self said: "I don't know that it is the right thing to do, but I am not going to place any blame on Gordon going and taking his ball. Silvio knew he was being defended and he took his ball. The way Silvio reacted to taking his ball, going down and blocking his shot, was all fair game. The horn hadn't gone off yet.

"Everything that happened after that is obviously what set things off."

De Sousa was reinstated to the Jayhawks' program in May after Kansas won an appeal of a lengthy suspension that cost the 6-foot-9 player all of the 2018-19 season. As part of the FBI's wide-ranging probe into corruption in college basketball, the NCAA determined that a legal guardian for De Sousa had accepted a $2,500 payment and a promise of an extra $20,000 for helping steer him to Kansas.

The Jayhawks have until Feb. 19 to respond to a Notice of Allegations they received from the NCAA in September, citing the cases of De Sousa and another Kansas recruit and charging Self and the program with a lack of institutional control.

Kansas and K-State meet again on Feb. 29, in Manhattan, Kansas.

WASHINGTON POST