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Kansas News

Media Day Notebook: Chemistry, caution and early lessons all key for Kansas | KUsports.com
One of the big reasons the 2017-18 Kansas basketball team ended its season at the Final Four in San Antonio in March was the chemistry and cohesion of the seven or eight core members of the team.

Self, Jayhawks still sorting out 2018-19 rotation | KUsports.com
Practices began in late September. The first official game is now less than four weeks away. And Kansas basketball coach Bill Self still does not quite know how he will juggle all of that talent and depth the 2018-19 Jayhawks will bring to the floor this season.

Lyons, Washington earn Big 12 preseason honors | KUsports.com
Christalah Lyons and Jessica Washington earned Preseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors by the league coaches, according to an announcement made Wednesday afternoon.

‘I know I’m going to play this year:’ KU’s De Sousa says as Adidas trial continues
“Well, I know I’m going to play this year,” De Sousa, a 6-foot-9, 235-pound forward from Angola said Wednesday at Kansas basketball media day at Allen Fieldhouse.

Jayhawks’ offense hasn’t clicked thus far, Bill Self maintains
“I’ll be pretty candid,” Bill Self, KU’s 16th-year head coach said at Wednesday’s media day at Allen Fieldhouse, “our offense doesn’t look very good.”

De Sousa contract with Spain pro team, payments to families discussed at Adidas trial
Thomas “T.J.” Gassnola, a former consultant for Adidas America, testified Wednesday in federal court that he made concealed payments on behalf of the shoe company to the families of five elite basketball prospects, including current Kansas forward Silvio De Sousa, former KU forward Billy Preston and former Arizona big man Deandre Ayton, the No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA Draft.

'That's all God': Nigerian DT risked citizenship for FBS offer
He had already received D-II offers out of high school. There was also a full ride on the table if he would settle for Division-I FCS. And then there was the matter of his residency in the United States, which was up in the air if he couldn't find his way into a spot on a college program.

Doug Meacham fired as KU football's offensive coordinator
Meacham had been KU's offensive coordinator since January of 2017, when he was hired by Beaty after a three-year stint at TCU. Meacham had previously called plays for the Jayhawks and he had added the positional responsibilities of being KU's quarterbacks coach in the offseason.

KU's Silvio De Sousa says he's expecting to play in 2018-19
De Sousa's name has been linked to the trial stemming from the FBI Investigation into college basketball. The University of Maryland previously released two separate FBI subpoenas, one of which actually named De Sousa in asking for "Materials to be Produced." Casey Donnelly, the attorney for former Adidas executive Jim Gatto, also previously claimed that Under Armour paid $20,000 to recruit De Sousa to sign with Maryland. Donnelly also claimed Gatto was asked if he could match the offer so De Sousa could attend Kansas.

Bill Self talks Silvio De Sousa, recent FBI investigation news
Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel and CBS Sports' Matt Norlander each reported that T.J. Gassnola, a former Adidas consultant, testified he provided payments to families of Billy Preston and Silvio De Sousa, among others. Wetzel went on to share a quote from "a report Gassnola wrote:"

College hoops trial: Bag man offered 'help' to Bill Self, Kansas
It did note various meetings with coaches at Adidas schools around the country – N.C. State, Indiana, UCLA, Miami and so on. In particular was a trip in 2014 to Lawrence, Kansas, to attend the Kansas Jayhawks’ annual first practice called “Late Night in the Phog.”

KU basketball could have nation's top frontcourt in 2018-19
What makes those comments interesting — and likely true — is it's very possible Lightfoot and McCormack could end up being the fourth and fifth big men on the roster behind a returning junior in Udoka Azubuike, a standout transfer in Dedric Lawson and another returner in Silvio De Sousa. Either way, the depth of that unit is something that had already been felt in the team's early practices leading up to Late Night in the Phog.

Doug Meacham out: David Beaty fires OC, hires himself for second time during rocky tenure | KUsports.com
Fourth-year Kansas football coach David Beaty engaged his itchy trigger finger yet again Wednesday, firing offensive coordinator Doug Meacham in a two-paragraph press release.

Kansas volleyball upsets No. 4 Texas | KUsports.com
After receiving votes in the AVCA poll, Kansas’ showdown with No. 4 Texas was even better than advertised. Kansas upset Texas with a 3-1 win Wednesday night (25-18, 28-26, 20-25, 25-23) to earn its sixth win over Texas in program history.

Self declines to comment on testimony of former Adidas consultant who says he arranged cash payments | KUsports.com
At a federal fraud trial in New York, Gassnola, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges in March and is cooperating with the government in the case, testified that a cadre of fixers conducted covert “black ops” to funnel secret cash payments to the families of top prospects, including former KU player Billy Preston and current KU player Silvio De Sousa.

Other Sports News

NBA season preview - Ranking teams by their 2018-19 drama factor
If the NBA has taught us anything, it's to expect drama—everywhere! So we paired each team with a TV drama, then the NBA Forecast panel ranked how central each subplot will be to this season. Are you not entertained?

LeBron James, Lonzo Ball make first on-court appearance together for Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James welcomed Lonzo Ball back to action Wednesday with a perfect alley-oop lob that Ball flushed with two hands on a well-executed give-and-go.

This is Officially a Dumpster Fire: Jimmy Butler Practices, Embarrasses Timberwolves - Canis Hoopus
There have been some very dark days for the Minnesota Timberwolves organization, but today is surely going to finish near the top of the list. The discord between Jimmy Butler and the Wolves reached what is surely the breaking point today. For something that can only be described as a series of unfortunate events, lets follow along with Woj.

The best college football fan reaction shots and how they happen - SBNation.com
Now that every inch of every college football game is televised, the crowd shot is woven into all of the most memorable moments. The plays that stun you most on your couch are also the ones that stun the people there. And there, a camera always catches it.

Jimmy Butler trade: Wolves All-Star returns to practice and yells at everyone - SBNation.com
Jimmy Butler sat down for an interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols that aired on Sportscenter Wednesday evening, after he blasted teammates — and both head coach/president Tom Thibodeau and general manager Scott Layden — in his first practice with the Timberwolves this summer.

Other News

NASA: Astronauts Make Emergency Landing After Rocket Failure
The two-person crew aboard a Russian-made Soyuz rocket made an emergency landing in Kazakhstan today shortly after launch. The crew, which was traveling to the International Space Station, is reportedly safe and in “good condition” after the scary failure was broadcast on the web.

National retailers invest in Kalispell’s growing economy | KECI
Kalispell continues to grow at a rapid pace, bringing more and more national retailers to town, sometimes even before cities like Missoula or Billings.

US scientists lay out plan to search for life in universe — Quartz
The discovery of many potentially habitable planets beyond the solar system and a growing understanding of the variety of life on Earth provides NASA an opportunity to advance the field of astrobiology, according to a new National Academy of Sciences report.

Obituary of the Day

Rick Stein Obituary - Wilmington, DE | The News Journal
Wilmington - Rick Stein, 71, of Wilmington was reported missing and presumed dead on September 27, 2018 when investigators say the single-engine plane he was piloting, The Northrop, suddenly lost communication with air traffic control and disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Rehoboth Beach. Philadelphia police confirm Stein had been a patient at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital where he was being treated for a rare form of cancer. Hospital spokesman Walter Heisenberg says doctors from Stein's surgical team went to visit him on rounds when they discovered his room was empty. Security footage shows Stein leaving the building at approximately 3:30 Thursday afternoon, but then the video feed mysteriously cuts off. Authorities say they believe Stein took an Uber to the Philadelphia airport where they assume he somehow gained access to the aircraft.