KU’s most positive development in Tuesday’s win: ‘You basically won the game for us’
Shortly after Bill Self entered the locker room following his team’s 75-63 victory over East Tennessee State, he turned to forward Silvio De Sousa.
“He said, ‘You basically won the game for us,’” Marcus Garrett said, recalling Self’s words. “(Silvio) came in, got huge blocks, huge rebounds.”
And had about as impressive of a nine-minute performance as you’ll see from a Jayhawk this season.
This was the most encouraging part of Tuesday night’s grind-it-out victory for KU. After three games’ worth of limited production from De Sousa, the Jayhawks finally saw exactly what the 6-foot-9 forward could provide when his mind is in the right spot.
For the final 5:44 of the game, De Sousa was not only a basketball player who looked like the most athletic person on the floor ... he was someone who acted like that was the case too.
This started on the defensive end — the area De Sousa has struggled most. Too often, De Sousa has appeared to be a step slow on the perimeter and also a bit nonchalant, allowing scoring opportunities that previously led to Self benching him quickly.
This De Sousa was different. During one of the game’s most crucial possessions late in the second half — KU was leading by seven — De Sousa shuffled to defend a ball screen, then leapt up to deflect the ball away for a steal.
A few moments later, he made what Self believed was the best play of the game. Point guard Devon Dotson delivered a low throw in transition, but in one motion, De Sousa caught it and slammed it through for an alley-oop.
“That wasn’t a good pass,” Self said, “and he made something out of nothing there.”
Defensively, De Sousa’s favorite moment came on the next possession.
After working his way through another ball screen, De Sousa elevated with two feet inside the lane, blocking Tray Boyd’s three-point attempt with his off hand.
The sequence was so impressive that Boyd grabbed him a few seconds later.
“The guy that I blocked his shot said, ‘Dang, you were so damn far, and you still got it,’” De Sousa said with a laugh. “It’s just playing to my athleticism, and I think everything’s just paying off.”
De Sousa continued by finishing that defensive possession too. He closed out under control on his man and also gave extra help when it appeared teammate Ochai Agbaji was beaten on a drive. A strong boxout also helped KU clear the rebound after an East Tennessee State missed shot.
“We know he can move his feet,” Garrett said. “We know how energetic he can be.”
De Sousa finally showed it Tuesday, which potentially could be a turning point in his season.
This opening stretch hasn’t been easy. Coming off a one-year NCAA suspension, De Sousa has played double-digit minutes in just one of KU’s first four games.
His thoughts, however, appear to be shifting to a better place. To get additional playing time, De Sousa needs to become a more sound defender, and he seems to have embraced that based on his recent actions.
“Tonight I was really active defensively,” De Sousa said. “Like I said the other day, I have been doing a lot better defensively, and that’s one thing I want to keep on going.”
So why did Self turn to him late? De Sousa believed at least part of it was the coach wanting to see if he’d respond in an important moment.
De Sousa joked that he’d give himself a 90 for his late-game performance.
“That’s a good test (score) for me,” he said with a grin.
De Sousa piled up the compliments afterwards. Self said that he “was terrific” defensively, while Udoka Azubuike also said his fellow big man “came in and really helped us.”
Perhaps none of those words, though, made De Sousa smile as much as Boyd talking to him about the blocked three-pointer.
De Sousa’s response on the court? “I appreciate you.”
“He was nice,” De Sousa said, “so I had to be nice to him.”
Opponents, teammates, coaches ... all were aware of De Sousa’s presence on Tuesday.
It was hard to miss the bounciest player on the floor, especially when he played with effort like that.
This story was originally published November 19, 2019 at 11:37 PM with the headline "KU’s most positive development in Tuesday’s win: ‘You basically won the game for us’."
