Kansas Jayhawks player Silvio De Sousa is breaking his silence following the bench-clearing brawl on Tuesday night ... saying straight-up, "I messed up and I am sorry."
De Sousa received the harshest punishment handed down for his part in the melee ... getting slapped with a 12-game suspension.
Remember, De Sousa stood over DaJuan Gordon after a chase-down block, which kickstarted the brawl. During the fight, the 21-year-old is seen holding a stool over his head before a coach yanks it from his hands.
De Sousa owned up to his actions on Wednesday, saying there is no excuse for what he did.