The Rock Chalkboard

KU basketball players participate in annual charity event
When Self walked around, he could have come across Mitch Lightfoot and Chris Teahan picking out a microwave for a family. Self could have also seen Devon Dotson and Jalen Wilson deliberating on what toy to get for someone on their list, or Marcus Garrett and Ochai Agbaji trying to find a specific item on Garrett's list.

Early signing day: Meet KU football's recruiting class for 2020
The early signing period has arrived, and Wednesday is slated to be a massive day for the KU football team. The Jayhawks are expected to add more than 15 names with their early-signing class. The Jayhawks began the week with more than two-dozen players committed.

College Basketball Power Rankings - Kansas claims top spot, but for how long?
Another week, another No. 1 conundrum. The top of the rankings has been an undesirable destination for teams this season, with four No. 1 teams losing in the first six weeks of the season. The latest was Louisville, which sat atop the Power Rankings for two weeks before falling to Texas Tech in the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday.

College Basketball Power Rankings - Kansas claims top spot, but for how long?
Another week, another No. 1 conundrum. The top of the rankings has been an undesirable destination for teams this season, with four No. 1 teams losing in the first six weeks of the season. The latest was Louisville, which sat atop the Power Rankings for two weeks before falling to Texas Tech in the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday.

KU Jayhawks 2020 football early signing day preview analysis | The Kansas City Star
Kansas football coach Les Miles is set to hold a news conference Wednesday afternoon to officially announce those players who are committing to KU as part of early signing day.

Bits o Chalk

Bills QB Josh Allen's selfie with fans finds home at Buffalo art museum
The Albright-Knox Art Gallery is closed while it undergoes an expansion, but it made an addition to its exhibits, with a screenshot of a selfie Bills quarterback Josh Allen took with the fans waiting for the team on Monday morning at Buffalo-Niagara International Airport.

Suns' Deandre Ayton starts in return, says lesson learned
"It's frustrating and I know what I did and it was the biggest mistake and unintentional mistake that happened in my life," Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft, said of his time away from playing. "It was something to learn from and build from it. It's a mistake and everybody makes mistakes. It's just how you bounce back really. I think that is what everybody is waiting for. I did my time so I'm here."

NCAA president Mark Emmert meets with legislators as demand for changes in rules grows
Emmert has spent a large amount of his time in the nation's capital in the latter half of 2019. He said last week that the vast majority of his workload is now focused on navigating a minefield of legal and legislative challenges to what he calls the "collegiate model" of sports.

Zion Williamson 'fully weight-bearing' but no return date set
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson returned to full weight-bearing exercises, but team executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin isn't ready to set a return date just yet.

Two stolen Red Sox World Series rings belonging to Terry Francona recovered
Two World Series rings belonging to Terry Francona have been recovered after they were stolen from the former Boston Red Sox manager last month, according to the Pima County (Arizona) Sheriff's Department.

Eraser Dust

Last Train Loads of Freight Roll into Kalispell - Flathead Beacon
One hundred twenty-eight years ago, the first train to arrive in downtown Kalispell was welcomed with a parade and banquet featuring all the trimmings. This week, the last trains to pull freight into town arrived with considerably less fanfare.

It's sizzling: Australia experiences hottest day on record
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said the average temperature across the country of 40.9 degrees Celsius (105 Fahrenheit) Tuesday beat the record of 40.3 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) from Jan. 7, 2013.

Addictive nicotine in Juul nearly identical to a Marlboro: study - Reuters
The nicotine formula used by controversial e-cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc is nearly identical to the flavor and addictive profile of Altria Group Inc’s highly successful Marlboro cigarette brand, new research suggests.

Queen title shock: Could the Queen give herself this new impressive title? | Royal | News | Express.co.uk
And if the Queen decided to acquire the title of Empress, she will not have been the first British monarch to do so

Fiendish tilted toilet meant to cut down on length of workers’ bathroom breaks - MarketWatch
A startup company in the U.K. developed a new, downward-tilting toilet meant to make employees so uncomfortable in the loo that they take care of business quicker.