CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (BVM) — For Silvio De Sousa, talent has never been the issue. Born in Luanda, Angola, De Sousa moved to the United States for high school where he immediately had an impact on the basketball court.

Both of his high school teams, Monteverde and IMG Academy, were ranked nationally thanks to the help of De Sousa. That stellar play on the court earned him a four-star ranking from both ESPN and 247 Sports, along with the latter positioning him as the No. 32 ranked prospect. in the country. 

All of these accolades pale in comparison to De Sousa’s school commitment: Kansas, one of the true blue-blood college basketball teams in the nation.

De Sousa’s collegiate career got off to a blazing start, per usual. During the 2018 Big 12 tournament, he averaged 10 points and 9.7 rebounds, culminating in a 16-point, 10-rebound performance in the title game against West Virginia. Kansas would go on to compete in the Final Four that year, ultimately losing to Villanova in the semifinals. 

De Sousa’s story up until this point looked to be one trending toward the NBA. After his freshman season in 2017-2018 things began to pivot.

In October 2018, De Sousa was named in a federal indictment alleging that he accepted money from two Adidas officials during his college recruitment. The NCAA suspended De Sousa for the rest of the 2018-2019 season and 2019-2020 season. In April 2019, Kansas appealed the suspension and consequently won, giving De Sousa eligibility for the 2019-2020 season. 

After missing the entire season prior, De Sousa returned to play during the 2019-2020 season. However, this season was derailed as well. During a blowout game against Kansas State, De Sousa became engulfed in a brawl on the court, throwing multiple punches, as he had to be held back by an assistant coach. He was suspended for the remainder of the season, and after opting out of the 2020-2021 season for personal reasons, De Sousa never played another game in a Jayhawks jersey.

It’s been four years since De Sousa began his career at Kansas. In that period of time, most players with his background and accolades are either heading for the professional ranks or have become premier players on their collegiate teams. 

De Sousa didn’t have those options available to him at the time. Announced this summer, and made official on Aug. 10, De Sousa decided to transfer to the southeast and join the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga for the upcoming season. 

It’s about as unprecedented a move as there is. There’s nothing new about a top-prospect having issues at their first stop and transferring schools for a change of scenery, but this isn’t just a change of scenery, it’s a major change of pace. 

De Sousa goes from one of the top college basketball programs in the country to a small, mid-major program that has only one Sweet 16 appearance under its belt. Perhaps it’s exactly that, the ability to perform without always being under a microscope 24-7 that was so appealing. 

For the Chattanooga Mocs, De Sousa bolsters their frontcourt by a large margin. UTC returns much of its starters from last season where they went 18-8 and were rolling until a string of COVID-19 protocols derailed them in the second round of the Southern Conference tournament.

UTC’s major weakness last season was that it was, at times, too reliant on their phenomenal backcourt duo of Malachi Smith and David Jean-Baptiste. De Sousa will surely alleviate some of that pressure offensively, as well as provide a new wrinkle of versatility into head coach Lamont Paris’ lineup. 

“We’re really excited to add Silvio to the mix with an already experienced team. This is a guy who has been around basketball a long time and is incredibly physically gifted,” Paris said in a school press release. “He has a phenomenal combination of size, strength, explosiveness, athleticism, agility. I think with those attributes alone, he can be a really good player at this level.”

De Sousa’s motivation levels should be at an all-time high. Not only to prove doubters wrong, but to prove that the accolades bestowed upon him in college weren’t a mistake. 

Time is running out, but there’s just enough sand left in the hourglass for De Sousa to make the most of the opportunity in front of him. 

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