“Kansas appealed the NCAA staff decision of a two-season withholding to the Division I Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee, which determined additional relief was appropriate,” the NCAA said in a statement released via Twitter.
The NCAA originally ruled in February that De Sousa would have to sit out the rest of the 2018-19 season and all of the 2018-19 season “because his guardian received payment from a university booster and agent and agreed to receive additional funds from the same person” (via the Kansas City Star).
In February, the NCAA said in a release that “according to the facts provided for purposes of the reinstatement request, De Sousa’s guardian received payment of $2,500 from an agent and booster of the school. He agreed to accept additional payment of $20,000 from the same individual and an Adidas employee for securing De Sousa’s enrollment at Kansas.”
Kansas, which has an apparel deal with Adidas, appealed that ruling April 18.
Upon Friday’s announcement, De Sousa, who has declared for the NBA Draft, tweeted, simply: “THANK YOU.”
That reponse is notable because he has said that if his suspension were lifted then he would return to Kansas for his junior season in 2019-20. He has until Wednesday to withdraw his name from the draft.
Jayhawks fans may believe his previous tweet, from Tuesday, was prescient, too: “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. Amen.”
