🏀 KuBuckets Archive

According to his Lawyer SILVIO HAS WON HIS APPEAL.

HUGE DAY!!!!

Yes !!

Holy Moly! Incredible news!

My god... I got goosebumps the size of mountains when I read that! Rock Chalk!

I'm so happy! He so deserves this and is such a great guy that has a love for KU!

HOT DIGGITY DAWG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAHTSEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!0_1558720591090_braveheart.jpg ↗

Great news.

Now we should hope that RJ and Wilson aren’t a package deal. Wilson wouldn’t jump here now, would he?

• • JUMPIN - - GEE - - HOSSIE - - TOADS - - -- - JUMPIN -- GEE - -HOSSIE - - TOADS. - - not sure but I think MAYBE - - - JUST MAYBE -- I just wet myself a little bit roflmao - - oh and did I say - - - JUMPIN - - - GEE - - HOSSIE - -TOAS lmao - - -ROCK CHALK ALLL DAY LONG MY FRIENDS

!alt text ↗

HighEliteMajor said:

Great news.

Now we should hope that RJ and Wilson aren’t a package deal. Wilson wouldn’t jump here now, would he?

Very good chance he does. He's a wing and good enough to start over Ochai and Garrett.

@BShark - HEY BUDDY you really think we can still get Wilson to come? - - -that would be incredible - -just afraid with Michigan's hire of Howard and Silvio coming back - -might just be enough to steer him away from us now - -what you think?

Let's just hope it's not a situation where they say "oh yeah, sure. The kid can play. Oh and by the way here's your post season ban...."

🐦 View Tweet?s=21

Really cool

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahhaaa!

Hehhhehheheheheeheheheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Very happy to be wrong on this one. I assumed Silvio would never get his eligibility back due the total amount of money involved in his case between KU and Maryland.

look at it this way now. - -we wait for Devon - which sure sounding like he comin back.

with Silvio being cleared - -I think we just sent a Memorial holiday weekend nightmare message to the rest of the big 12.

IF we can now just get RJ and Wilson - -our line up could look like this very easily - -friend of mine pointed out:

Devon at the - - PG -- - -Garrett backing him
RJ playing the - -2 - -Ochai - - backing him
Silvio playing the - -4 - - - Lightfoot quite possibly backing him
Wilson playing the 3- - -Could be Enrauna backing him
Doke playing the 5 - - -McCormack backing him - - holy crap

Can you feel it? - - - could you imagine that 3 headed monster - - Doke - - -Silvio - - -& McCormack?

cragarhawk said:

Let's just hope it's not a situation where they say "oh yeah, sure. The kid can play. Oh and by the way here's your post season ban...."

Not now, man. Let's enjoy this for a while.

cragarhawk said:

Let's just hope it's not a situation where they say "oh yeah, sure. The kid can play. Oh and by the way here's your post season ban...."

You are keeping it VERY real! lol

Crimsonorblue22 said:

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Really cool

that is soooo cool. - - love that - - thanks you - like it says - - "FAMILY "

!alt text ↗

The rain sweeping thru Kansas this afternoon is the tears of the rest of the B12. Enjoy your one year folks, we are coming back.

!alt text ↗

Silvio is the best.

YES! Biggest 2019 recruit?

@BShark 😭 so happy

@BShark what do you think the lady from w Virginia would have decided? Hmmm

My favorite recent recruit, I was really hoping this would happen. I think he is going to be a legit stud next year.

Self is in Australia with his family so he might not even know yet!! Imagine he will be happy waking up to all of those texts.

Oh he knows

approxinfinity said:

cragarhawk said:

Let's just hope it's not a situation where they say "oh yeah, sure. The kid can play. Oh and by the way here's your post season ban...."

You are keeping it VERY real! lol

I know.... I hate it when I'm doing that... 😁

@Crimsonorblue22 !0_1558729732643_6934FFF2-CBAC-401A-9C06-5190EC959D35.jpeg ↗

kjayhawks said:

The rain sweeping thru Kansas this afternoon is the tears of the rest of the B12. Enjoy your one years folk, we are coming back.

...or the Godly cleansing of our program... washing away all the allegations and innuendos... all the way through "we'll do what it takes to get Zion here."

So hold on... expect "cleansing" for several more days!

.Man - - -- do you feel it? - - - Can you smell it ? - - I can. - - It's " FEAR " - - FEAR from the other programs -I love it. - - - WERE BACCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCK. - - ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY

Went back and watched the Twitter, clip - -Man Silvio is sooo athletic - he can run - -got serious hops - -I'm ready

We're going to rek the country

Hi, everyone! This is worth logging in for! I hope people show some appreciation for the administrators and staff who worked hard on this! Does this give Long some much-needed credibility with the faithful?

But I also wanted to wish all of you in the MW well as you go through all these storms. I hope you can all dodge the tornados. So scary--I remember those days, but these seem worse. Stay safe.

Thanks to everyone for keeping up the spirit! See you in the fall which I think we all will anticipate with lots of excitement!

Matt Tait had a pretty good take on this - - pretty solid by Matt:

He said - -Worth noting , here in the wake of Silvio's news - -KU missed out on 2019 targets Matt Hurt & JRE BUT found a way to get Udoka and Silvio back for the 2019-20 Season. - - - Advantage - - - - KU - - -Experience and Proven Talent - -can't really argue with that. - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY

HighEliteMajor said:

Great news.

Now we should hope that RJ and Wilson aren’t a package deal. Wilson wouldn’t jump here now, would he?

I believe Jalen said he was intrigued by the SF spot at KU. Given his scoring ability and size he would fit that spot in Selfs offense better then any guard coming back. I hope that's what sells him to come here besides the fact his good friend is likely coming as well. Never hurts to have 2 recruits who have a connection.

!0_1558733933959_0B649862-099D-420E-B0DC-2CA21995D7BD.jpeg ↗

Late to the party. F yeah!!!

@mayjay Thanks for weighing in. It's good to read your words. We miss you and look forward to your return this Fall. Best wishes for a great summer:swimmer_tone2: :beach_umbrella: :relaxed:

mayjay said:

Hi, everyone! This is worth logging in for! I hope people show some appreciation for the administrators and staff who worked hard on this! Does this give Long some much-needed credibility with the faithful?

But I also wanted to wish all of you in the MW well as you go through all these storms. I hope you can all dodge the tornados. So scary--I remember those days, but these seem worse. Stay safe.

Thanks to everyone for keeping up the spirit! See you in the fall which I think we all will anticipate with lots of excitement!

Have people been openly against Jeff Long? I'm sure not.

I think he and Self just needed an adjustment period as both are used to being THE BOSS. It's great having a real AD again, imo.

From the Kansas City Star/Wichita Eagle:

https://www.kansas.com/sports/college/big-12/university-of-kansas/article230795374.html? ↗

No info we didn't already know, but some nice remarks from KT

Great news, but wasn't the timing curious on the NCAA announcement?

When an organization/company/politician wants to make a statement that draws the least media attention, they'll announce it on a Friday...especially on a Friday before a holiday weekend. Keeps too many folks from asking questions. ("Here's the verdict...now we're outta here!")

@mayjay miss you! Have a great memorial weekend!

I never allowed myself to enjoy the thought of Silvio coming back. I'm glad that Jeff Long got a big win, our program got a big win, and most importantly, that Silvio got a big win. Now I can celebrate, and I am licking my chops thinking of what a front line of Silvio and Doke would do on the boards. Put a 6'8" Jalen Wilson at the 3, and add an RJ Hampton along with a Dotson, and we're going to be a complete matchup nightmare for other teams. I really think Silvio is athletic enough to play the 4, and I sure hope he's been practicing his jumper all this time. We're going to flat dominate teams on the boards.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

This is the equivalent of landing a Top 10 recruit. We are going to lead the country in rebounding next season.

How many of us thought we would have De Sousa and Doke for next season? I'm so happy right now.

Big 12 Championship. Silvio take over for Doke and has his best game.

@wrwlumpy glad this brought you out! Great day!

Can we forget the 4/1 now??

Honestly I'm just happy that SDS finally gets a chance to play. Young man definitely deserves it.

@KirkIsMyHinrich I'm really happy too, mostly for him.

@HighEliteMajor maybe Silvio can shoot the 3 now?🤪

@HighEliteMajor

Yepp the post has to be a focus right?

@Crimsonorblue22 goosebumps all over!!!

Too early to start discussing how Silvo and Doke will coexist when they're on the floor at the same time? My hope is that Silvio's secretly developed a trey and the foot speed to guard on the perimeter.

ajvan said:

Too early to start discussing how Silvo and Doke will coexist when they're on the floor at the same time? My hope is that Silvio's secretly developed a trey and the foot speed to guard on the perimeter.

It may not be the perfect 1-2 combo but Self will figure it out. Having 2 legitimate bigs to run offense through makes it easier for him to scheme and develop the team.

We'll just keep getting rebounds until the ball goes through the hoop.

I'm absolutely shocked! Good for SIlvio.

@BeddieKU23 It's also going to be real hard for our opponents to score at the rim.

I’m not worried because SILVIO! but the bigger question is how we’ll guard the 3 with Silvio/Doke both out there.

ajvan said:

Too early to start discussing how Silvo and Doke will coexist when they're on the floor at the same time? My hope is that Silvio's secretly developed a trey and the foot speed to guard on the perimeter.

Never! I think the answer is we don’t really know since he hasn’t played in over a year. I think it’ll take some time for them to get going but I think they’ll be terrific. I also think they’ll be on the court together the minority of the time, especially if we get Wilson. You’ll see Silvio a lot at the 5 if Doke gets in foul trouble. The great thing is we can play every style.

@FarmerJayhawk if you don't see them together where does that leave Big Dave?

approxinfinity said:

@FarmerJayhawk if you don't see them together where does that leave Big Dave?

approxinfinity said:

@FarmerJayhawk if you don't see them together where does that leave Big Dave?

A 10-12 MPG guy. But will vary pretty widely depending on matchup. I can see him being the main backup 5 or a non-factor depending on if we play a team that also plays big (Texas?) or small (ISU).

Turning those words around, any chance Big Dave leaves?

HighEliteMajor said:

Turning those words around, any chance Big Dave leaves?

No way. He’d have to sit out anyway, and he’s got a fantastic chance to start as a junior at Kansas, just like he would elsewhere.

Right, if he gets recruited over for next year then yes he should leave. In this instance it's just a case of guys returning. Guys that will be gone next year and the path should be clear.

BShark said:

Right, if he gets recruited over for next year then yes he should leave. In this instance it's just a case of guys returning. Guys that will be gone next year and the path should be clear.

We’re going to try (Dante)

If he bolts now, he has three years left vs two. He won’t play much this season if Doke and SDS are here. The 10-12 min deal is a good estimate.

I just read this here and I'm sure ya'll been waiting all day to hear what I have to say about this. So here's what I have to say about this: ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK KU.

ajvan said:

Too early to start discussing how Silvo and Doke will coexist when they're on the floor at the same time? My hope is that Silvio's secretly developed a trey and the foot speed to guard on the perimeter.

I'd settle for Silvio showing a good midrange game, and I think that will be a definite! We can do plenty with that!

HighEliteMajor said:

Turning those words around, any chance Big Dave leaves?

I don't think that will happen. Big Mac was just starting to get used to D1 where he could contribute. This should be a good environment for him to still get some good minutes. Doke still has fouling issues and also performs better with limited stretches on the floor.

The following year will mean a mass exit from our bigs and by then Big Mac will fall right into a huge role.

jayballer73 said:

@BShark - HEY BUDDY you really think we can still get Wilson to come? - - -that would be incredible - -just afraid with Michigan's hire of Howard and Silvio coming back - -might just be enough to steer him away from us now - -what you think?

Wilson is a 3. I think it's looking damn good for Hampton to commit to KU Tuesday and Wilson maybe to follow suit either that Friday or the following Monday. I don't believe that he is going to make that Carolina trip.

cragarhawk said:

Let's just hope it's not a situation where they say "oh yeah, sure. The kid can play. Oh and by the way here's your post season ban...."

How could they? They were wrong, and the review committee all but admitted as much.

When I heard the NCAA decision for Silvio, my first thought wasn't the benefit to next year's team, but how amazing that Silvio patiently waited all these months and stuck by his commitment to his college education and KU. I still remember the pride I felt when Silvio told his handlers he wanted to go to KU, not Maryland. Silvio sat on the bench all last year and endured all the negative attention with poise and class. Way to go Silvio. I hope to be able to shake your hand sometime soon.

If history serves as guide, Big Dave could be our starting 5 come tourney time (assuming we don't play Silvio at the 5 when Doke goes down)

We need Dave. Azubuike hasn't been healthy for more then 20 games in a season.

Marco said:

cragarhawk said:

Let's just hope it's not a situation where they say "oh yeah, sure. The kid can play. Oh and by the way here's your post season ban...."

How could they? They were wrong, and the review committee all but admitted as much.

@Marco Well, quite easily. The review made Silvio eligible for the 2019-20 season. It did not suggest the 2018-19 season should not have been a suspension.

To do so would have been to allow SDS to treat 2018-19 as a redshirt year. He lost that season eligibility. He’ll be a junior not a RS sophomore.

The appeal didn’t say the NCAA was wrong suspending him, it just reduced the suspension from two seasons to the one he served. He still got a suspension (one season).

So we played an otherwise ineligible player in 2017-18. @cragarhawk hit the nail on the head regarding the next concern ... and of course, us “winning” the appeal against the same folks determining our sanctions is less than appealing (pardon the pun).

HighEliteMajor said:

Marco said:

cragarhawk said:

Let's just hope it's not a situation where they say "oh yeah, sure. The kid can play. Oh and by the way here's your post season ban...."

How could they? They were wrong, and the review committee all but admitted as much.

@Marco Well, quite easily. The review made Silvio eligible for the 2019-20 season. It did not suggest the 2018-19 season should not have been a suspension.

To do so would have been to allow SDS to treat 2018-19 as a redshirt year. He lost that season eligibility. He’ll be a junior not a RS sophomore.

The appeal didn’t say the NCAA was wrong suspending him, it just reduced the suspension from two seasons to the one he served. He still got a suspension (one season).

So we played an otherwise ineligible player in 2017-18. @cragarhawk hit the nail on the head regarding the next concern ... and of course, us “winning” the appeal against the same folks determining our sanctions is less than appealing (pardon the pun).

We played an eligible player. Everyone cleared him. I'm not saying that they cant go back and say he wasn't eligible, they do that. Like taking away wins from teams that already won them and then saying they don't count. It took a FBI investigation to find Silvio's issues. We stopped Billy from playing. I hope that plays in our favor. It feels as if KU would have done the same with Silvio if they were privy to the payments allegedly given to fenny

HighEliteMajor said:

Turning those words around, any chance Big Dave leaves?

I suppose you never say never - -but just don't see that happening

Marco said:

jayballer73 said:

@BShark - HEY BUDDY you really think we can still get Wilson to come? - - -that would be incredible - -just afraid with Michigan's hire of Howard and Silvio coming back - -might just be enough to steer him away from us now - -what you think?

Wilson is a 3. I think it's looking damn good for Hampton to commit to KU Tuesday and Wilson maybe to follow suit either that Friday or the following Monday. I don't believe that he is going to make that Carolina trip.

I am really wondering if he does indeed make that trip or not - -I'm leaning a little more too that he won't end up making it.

I just feel now it is actually going to come down to Ku & re-committing to Michigan with their new hire - I just don't think N Carolina now will be a factor. - -Michigan more of a threat then N Carolina for him - -Because of Juwan - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY

BeddieKU23 said:

HighEliteMajor said:

Marco said:

cragarhawk said:

Let's just hope it's not a situation where they say "oh yeah, sure. The kid can play. Oh and by the way here's your post season ban...."

How could they? They were wrong, and the review committee all but admitted as much.

@Marco Well, quite easily. The review made Silvio eligible for the 2019-20 season. It did not suggest the 2018-19 season should not have been a suspension.

To do so would have been to allow SDS to treat 2018-19 as a redshirt year. He lost that season eligibility. He’ll be a junior not a RS sophomore.

The appeal didn’t say the NCAA was wrong suspending him, it just reduced the suspension from two seasons to the one he served. He still got a suspension (one season).

So we played an otherwise ineligible player in 2017-18. @cragarhawk hit the nail on the head regarding the next concern ... and of course, us “winning” the appeal against the same folks determining our sanctions is less than appealing (pardon the pun).

We played an eligible player. Everyone cleared him. I'm not saying that they cant go back and say he wasn't eligible, they do that. Like taking away wins from teams that already won them and then saying they don't count. It took a FBI investigation to find Silvio's issues. We stopped Billy from playing. I hope that plays in our favor. It feels as if KU would have done the same with Silvio if they were privy to the payments allegedly given to fenny

Thank you, that was my response, the NCAA cleared him to play. And he has now been cleared again. We'll get a slap on the wrist if anything, and probably won't even get that. The NCAA wants to put the shoe company genie back in the bottle as soon as possible.

@Marco The NCAA initially cleared Derrick Rose to play as well. That didn't work out too well for Memphis in the end.

@Marco @BeddieKU23 The initial clearing of a player is really irrelevant because (for lack of a better term) fraud was committed. Meaning, the player didn’t disclose his conduct. No one was told, and with that knowledge he would not have been cleared.

I think the issue becomes whether the NCAA wants to lower the boom. Seeing what happened to MU over the academic fraud issue ( when the fully cooperated) I’m not optimistic.

Big man coach Norm giving Silvio some rave reviews. Decent shot out to 15-18 feet, and can switch on some screens out on the perimeter because he's so athletic. https://www.kansascity.com/sports/college/big-12/university-of-kansas/article230837994.html ↗

But let’s not shoot those 15-18 footers ... bad shot anyway, particularly if one is just “decent.” Now, that 13 foot baseline shot that Marcus and Simien has down? That’s the ticket.

@HighEliteMajor I concur. If he can consistently make a jumper from the FT line or a bit closer in a hi/lo type set it'll be very good offense since it'll make it much more difficult to double Doke

Also playing 2 bigs will be marginally more advantageous with the 3 point line moving back.

@FarmerJayhawk Good point on the 3 pt line. In theory, post scoring becomes a bit more important. The hi/lo is still the best offensive set in CBB in my opinion. Terrific for kick out threes.

Silvio... "I'm so excited to be able to come back to Kansas to play and to continue my education...”

CONTINUE MY EDUCATION... music to my ears... remember he didn’t need to say anything about the education part of his staying at Kansas. someone early on in Silvio’s life must have instilled in him the value of education which he has now internalized... he gets it.

Grimes and family? Apparently education is not on their list

@Bosthawk Interesting. Good god man, could you imagine if we were able to have Silvio for 4 years?

@Marco We won’t. He’ll be a junior. His suspension was not lifted for the past season, so he can’t count it as a redshirt season.

HighEliteMajor said:

@Marco We won’t. He’ll be a junior. His suspension was not lifted for the past season, so he can’t count it as a redshirt season.

Correct. We should pin something about this.

HighEliteMajor said:

@Marco We won’t. He’ll be a junior. His suspension was not lifted for the past season, so he can’t count it as a redshirt season.

Yeah, but he said to continue his education.... Hell, let's get greedy, he'd still have a year of eligibility left after this coming season.

Marco said:

@Bosthawk Interesting. Good god man, could you imagine if we were able to have Silvio for 4 years?

That would be cool, but we’ll see if he sticks around after getting exposure next season. There may be too much pressure to go pro. Damn nba ruining the college game poaching players on potential.

@Texas-Hawk-10

That situation is close, initially clearing a player to find out later on he wasn't.

The big difference with Rose if I'm remembering right is that the NCAA did inform Memphis of some issues and they played him anyway.

Not that it was really in doubt but Silvio has confirmed he officially removed his name from the draft and will play for KU next year.

BShark said:

Not that it was really in doubt but Silvio has confirmed he officially removed his name from the draft and will play for KU next year.

Nice to see someone actually hold their word. It's a lost art these days

@BeddieKU23 Silvio is a stud!!

I’m excited to see what a more polished Silvio can do! He was just getting going late his freshman year.

Silvio De Sousa’s mother, Janina, checked in with her only son regularly during his sophomore year at Kansas, seeking the latest news on the 6-foot-9, 245-pound power forward’s eligibility case with the NCAA.

Phone call after call ended with Janina, a government worker in Angola, learning Silvio was practicing daily at KU, but not playing in games amid allegations his guardian accepted illegal benefits from an Adidas representative.

“Whenever my mom called to ask me, ‘Do you have updates today?’ … sometimes I wouldn’t pick up the phone. I didn’t want to tell her the same answer … all the ‘no’s,’’’ De Sousa said Wednesday afternoon from Brett Ballard’s Washburn University basketball camp, where De Sousa and KU teammate Michael Jankovich were working as counselors for about 100 youths in Lee Arena.

“It was just pretty much, ‘I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s talk about something else.’ Then the day I told her (he had NCAA suspension for the 2019-20 season overturned), she was so happy. I could see she was more excited than I am,” De Sousa added with a smile.

De Sousa — his dad and three younger sisters are also back in his native Angola — was informed by his attorney on May 24 that the NCAA’s Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement had tossed out the suspension that kept him from playing in games in 2018-19 and also was going to keep him sidelined all of 2019-20.

“The minute I found out (he could play again) the one thing I felt … I was really happy and it (weight) came off my shoulders. I couldn’t ever be more happy. (I said), ‘I’ve just got to tell my family about it.’ That’s pretty much how I felt,” said De Sousa, who had been held out of games by KU to open the 2018-19 season.

On Feb. 1, the NCAA announced that De Sousa officially would not be eligible for game action until the first game of the 2020-21 campaign, “because his guardian received payment from a university booster and agent and agreed to receive additional funds from the same person.”

“Knowing the truth is what kept me positive,” De Sousa said Wednesday. “I knew I was innocent since Day One. That’s why my mindset was so different. I kept myself in a good position. I did not throw fits to the NCAA. I was like, ‘I know I didn’t do anything and was innocent since Day One,’ so I was keeping my mind fresh and taking it one day at a time.”

De Sousa said he was heartened by the support of KU’s fans while he was seated in the NCAA’s penalty box.

“I can’t thank them enough. They’ve been behind me since Day One. They always show support and love,” De Sousa said of fans who regularly interacted with him on social media.

De Sousa entered his name in the 2019 NBA Draft pool on April 19. He said he worked out for five teams (Atlanta, Chicago, Sacramento, Utah were ones he mentioned) and said the resulting feedback from coaches and general managers was positive.

However, De Sousa immediately withdrew from the draft once he received word he was eligible for his junior season at KU.

“I mean I believe in myself. I was sure I would be drafted,” De Sousa said. “I just wanted to play so bad (at KU). I wanted to make people realize who I really am and kind of get a better spot for next year’s draft.”

De Sousa said he believes it’ll be a “battle” for the starting frontcourt position next to senior center Udoka Azubuike.

“Everybody wants to play. David (McCormack) played great last year. He had a good season. I”m going to have to battle, fight every single day and try to earn the spot,” De Sousa said. “We have so many good players that came back or didn’t leave. We’re going to have a pretty good team this year.”

De Sousa said he’s been working on his jump shot in an attempt to provide a strong 1-2 punch with Azubuike, who will be more a prototypical center, not leaving the paint area on offense. De Sousa plans on being a stretch 4.

“Right now, I’m focusing on trying to get my shot better,” said De Sousa. He averaged 4.0 points and 3.7 rebounds a game in 20 games his freshman year at KU. “My 15-footer, jump shots. I am trying to figure out and learn what should I bring to the team this year. This is pretty much my focus now.”

Of playing next to Azubuike, he said: “That wouldn’t be a problem. We play two different positions.”

Azubuike was joined by KU junior walk-on guard Chris Teahan as a counselor Wednesday during the morning session of Ballard’s Washburn camp.

Azubuike — he has been fully cleared to participate after rehabbing his surgically repaired right wrist — said he has a lot to work on this summer. First session of summer school at KU opened on Tuesday.

“I’m still not 100 percent yet,” said Azubuike, who had surgery on his right hand on Jan. 9 in New York. “(I need to) Get back to full fitness, start working on my game and get better. I need to get back in shape.”

Azubuike — he did not enter his name in the 2019 draft pool because he’d have been unable to work out for NBA teams as he rehabbed his injury — said he’s happy to be back for his senior year.

“It’s exciting,” the 7-footer from Nigeria said. “I’m just coming back from injury. It is weird. Just yesterday I was a freshman. Now I’m a senior. I’m looking forward to the challenges.”

In a very short interview with reporters at camp, he acknowledged he’d be humbled by any preseason All-America or player of the year awards that come his way. He recently was listed as one of six early candidates for the Naismith Trophy.

“I mean that’s a great opportunity,” Azubuike said. “If it happens, it happens. Right now I’m just focused on the team and myself getting better, getting in the best possible shape, doing the right stuff, putting my team in the position to be successful.”

@BShark makes me smile!

@BShark I was watching some of his videos, and I'm struck how fundamentally sound he is in so many ways...from the voracious rebounding to the passing skills...even the dribbling and driving skills he brings to the table. And he certainly has a nice 15 footer. I'm thinking they'll have him throwing some baseball outlet passes to DD and Marcus on defensive rebounds to help spark our offense. I just can't wait to see what a front line of Doke and Silvio with Big Dave in the wings will do to teams. This is Big Man U on steroids...

Great attitude on this kid. Really hope this season is rewarding for him

http://www2.kusports.com/news/2019/jun/11/he-wouldnt-get-court-silvio-de-sousa-makes-long-aw/?c=2691454 ↗