Kansas News

Les Miles, KU football hire Kwahn Drake to coach defensive line
After reports swirled yesterday the Jayhawks were down to Jimmy Brumbaugh, who coached the defensive line at Maryland, and Frank Okam, who did the same at Baylor, the Jayhawks went in a different direction in hiring a new D-line coach. Les Miles officially announced the hiring of Kwahn Drake for the position on Thursday morning.

Film room: Where KU's small-ball lineup struggled vs. NMSU
Yet in KU’s 63-60 win over New Mexico State, the Jayhawks’ small ball lineup wasn’t nearly as dominant. In 26 minutes with a small ball lineup, KU scored 35 points on 15-for-37 shooting and 5-for-15 shooting from deep. Additionally, KU had 10 turnovers and a team plus/minus of -4.

What Bill Self said re: Villanova at his weekly press conference
After a successful trip to New York, a pair of home wins and a victory in Kansas City, the Jayhawks are off to an 8-0 start to the year and they already have a pair of wins against top-10 ranked opponents, in addition to a talented Marquette team.

Devonté Graham checks in with a former KU teammate about upcoming Villanova game
“He was like, ‘Don’t worry about that, just win Saturday for me.’ I was like, ‘I got you,’’’ Lawson said Thursday.

Dedric Lawson needs to be more aggressive as focal point of KU's offense | Jackson's Journal | KUsports.com
The offense will run through redshirt junior forward Dedric Lawson, who is averaging a team-high 19.1 points per game for the unbeaten Jayhawks. Lawson has been the focal point when Azubuike is on the bench, but that was even more evident in the first full game without the big man.

Bill Self wants more from Devon Dotson. Here’s how the KU freshman can still grow
Kansas coach Bill Self has been impressed with freshman Devon Dotson, who is averaging 11 points per game. The coach still wants to see more “easy assists” from him, though, which should come with additional experience.

Other Sports News

LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers frustrated by calls for Houston Rockets
"Just trying to defend without fouling," James said, who briefly locked his hands behind his body on a Rockets possession in the third quarter. "That's a point of emphasis anytime you play Houston. They got guys that can sell calls really good -- Chris [Paul] and James [Harden] -- so you got to try to keep your hands out of the cookie jar."

Carson Wentz of Philadelphia Eagles has fractured vertebra
"Carson, he's going to handle it like a champ. He's one of the best quarterbacks in the league and he's the best young quarterback in the league. He was even playing at a high level with what he was dealing with. And I don't know if you know, going through reads, it helps to have a healthy back," wide receiver Jordan Matthews said Thursday.

Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver says he's '100 percent committed' to keeping the team in its current home
"I am 100 percent all-in in keeping this team right here where we stand," Sarver said. "And I want to make sure that message comes across crystal clear to every one of you."

Other News

Fantasy football Love, Hate and why 'Die Hard' is a Christmas movie -- Week 15
"Die Hard" is one of the all-time great action movies.

It created a whole sub-genre of action movies ("hero trapped alone somewhere").

It's incredibly quotable.

It's got one of the all-time great villains in Hans Gruber.

And it's the greatest Christmas movie ever made.

Daily Inter Lake - Breaking News, American to service Kalispell with new flights
The Fort Worth, Texas-based company announced the direct flights to Kalispell on Thursday. The new routes begin June 6 and include flights to and from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport and Chicago’s O’Hare. All flights will run through late September and will be available for sale beginning Monday, Dec. 17.

Fentanyl is the deadliest drug in America, CDC confirms | KSL.com
Fentanyl is now the most commonly used drug involved in drug overdoses, according to a new government report. The latest numbers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics say that the rate of drug overdoses involving the synthetic opioid skyrocketed by about 113 percent each year from 2013 through 2016.