Silvio De Sousa story to be told in soon-to-be-released documentary

It hasn’t been that long, so Kansas fans surely remember Silvio De Sousa, if not for his smile and friendly disposition then for all of the trouble that found him during his time as a Jayhawk.

From being at the center of a high-profile NCAA infractions case to an off-the-court battery charge and his role in an ugly incident in a brawl in the waning moments of a KU home win against Kansas State, De Sousa’s name was a fixture in the headlines even though the powerful forward played in just 38 games over three seasons in Lawrence.

For as much ink and air time as De Sousa received and as much as you thought you knew about his time in Lawrence, get ready to learn more through a soon-to-be-released full-length documentary, “The Last Amateur,” directed by Billy Raftery.

The film will premiere on Saturday night at the DOC LA Film Festival in Los Angeles and is expected to be available to the public via general release in mid-November.

Executive producer and Hall of Fame basketball player Kevin Garnett and college basketball analyst Jay Bilas guide viewers through the story of De Sousa’s rise and near fall on his journey from his native Angola to Montverde and IMG Academy, 5-star status on the recruiting trail and ultimately his time at KU and the happy ending to his college hoops career.

Longtime Kansas City-based attorney Scott Tompsett, who represented De Sousa in the NCAA infractions case and spent countless hours trying to help De Sousa clear his name and regain his eligibility, also served as an executive producer on the film.

Tompsett told R1S1 Sports that helping save De Sousa’s career was one of the highlights of his own career, which has spanned dozens of high-profile NCAA cases over three decades.

“It’s been an honor to work with Billy Raftery and his team to tell Silvio’s story to the world through this film,” Tompsett said.

“The Last Amateur” gets its title from the fact that the 26-year-old De Sousa, who is now married and playing basketball professionally overseas, was the last NCAA student-athlete to be punished for receiving funds from Adidas prior to the implementation of Name, Image and Likeness benefits for college athletes.

De Sousa, who graduated high school early to join the Jayhawks during their run to the 2017-18 Final Four, closed out his college career at Chattanooga, where he helped lead the Mocs to a Southern Conference tournament title and a berth in the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

De Sousa averaged 11 points and 7 rebounds in 28 games that season, with some of his best games coming down the stretch, including a 17-point, 14-rebound outing in the conference title game.

Here’s the trailer for the documentary, which is around 80 minutes in length.

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