The Rock Chalkboard

Quick recap & instant analysis: No. 7 KU basketball vs. Washburn
After facing a pair of ranked teams in early-season competition, No. 7-ranked KU basketball returned home to face off against Washburn at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks defeated the Ichabods on Thursday evening, 89-54, in their home opener.

KU basketball vs. Washburn: Who stood out and who didn't...
Forget his 3-point shooting for a moment — Agbaji impressively went 4 for 6 from beyond the arc — and think about Agbaji’s day in total. It was simply professional. For all this talk about how anyone can lead Kansas in scoring, Agbaji has scored 17, 18, 17 and 16 points in four games. He is assertive in seeking out his shot, and he has things working from 3. It really seems as though he’s taken the next step offensively.

Washburn outing a 'confidence booster' for KU's David McCormack
“You could definitely tell in his mood and everything that he was struggling,” said KU freshman Bryce Thompson on Thursday. “As a team, we always build him up and tell him, ‘Next one’s going in. Don’t worry about it. Next game. Don’t let one become two.’”

Three takeaways: Reviewing KU basketball's win vs. Washburn
“Yeah he was confident,” said Self. “He shot the ball well. He made a couple of bad plays. He’d be the first to tell you. Jalen’s a good player and he’s a tough matchup for folks. When he and Christian [Braun], and [Ochai Agbaji] are shooting the ball like they shot it tonight that just adds a whole new dimension to us.”

Photo gallery: KU basketball downs Washburn in home opener
KU basketball cruised to a 35-point victory over Washburn on Thursday. The game was played in front of around 100 fans inside Allen Fieldhouse — as well as a host of cardboard cutouts placed throughout the lower seating areas in the arena.

Bits o Chalk

Flaws for 2020 Super Bowl favorites: Where the Chiefs, Saints, Steelers, Packers and more struggle
t's tough for anything to be perfect in 2020. The Steelers are 11-0, but if you saw them struggle to put away what amounted to the Ravens' JV team on Wednesday, you can see that even they have flaws. The same is true for the other organizations at the head of the Super Bowl race. The defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs are 10-1 and the Saints are 9-2, but they both lost to a Raiders team that just got blown out by the 4-7 Falcons. On the right day and with the right matchup, just about any team in the NFL can beat anybody else.

Texas prep football player body-slams referee after ejection
A Texas high school football player charged onto the field and bowled over a referee Thursday night because he was angry after being ejected from the game.

South Carolina's win streak halted at 29 as NC State women's basketball secures third-ever victory over a No. 1
The top-ranked South Carolina women's basketball team saw its 29-game winning streak end Thursday at home in Columbia, South Carolina, as the Gamecocks were upset 54-46 by No. 8 NC State.

Alabama's Nick Saban cleared to travel with team to LSU on Friday
"I'll be there," Saban said on his radio show Thursday night. "I'm good. I think my time is up. I'm ready to get back in the swing of things."

Seattle Seahawks WR Josh Gordon reinstated for last 2 weeks
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Josh Gordon has been conditionally reinstated for the final two weeks of the 2020 season, the NFL announced Thursday.

Eraser Dust

Mysterious Monolith Update: Racists Destroy California Monolith, Proclaim Christ Superior to Space Aliens
In the video, a group of three men are seen pushing the statue over and chanting "America First" and "Christ is King." The men, one of whom was wearing a "Make America Great Again" headband, called part of the monolith's construction "gay" then replaced it monolith with a wooden cross. It is a decidedly bleak turn in the ongoing monolith saga that has generally been a delightful distraction for a world wracked by a pandemic.

The Nach on Sports - Flathead Beacon
“I had a college professor tell me that in this profession, you’re going to work someplace you’ve never heard of before,” Nachreiner said. “When I wanted to get a full- time gig I looked at every broadcasting job board in every state in the U.S., saw Montana and thought, ‘Mountains wouldn’t be a bad change.’”

Biden, Harris interview: President-elect says he will ask Americans to wear masks for the first 100 days after he takes office - CNNPolitics
President-elect Joe Biden told CNN's Jake Tapper on Thursday that he will ask Americans to wear masks for the first 100 days after he takes office, in a sign of how Biden's approach to the virus will be dramatically different from President Donald Trump's response.

Trump To Rally In Georgia While Hinting At A 2024 Run : NPR
It could also represent the first rally of a possible 2024 comeback bid, which some of the president's allies think would box out other Republicans looking to take the mantle in a post-Trump GOP.

Jessica Barden: "I need to hear Oasis at maximum volume"
“You know when you’re playing music so loudly that other people can fully hear the song and they’re like, ‘Why are you doing this?’ And I’m like, ‘This is the level that I need to hear Oasis at right now’,” she says unapologetically. “If I ever have a child, I’ll probably give birth to Oasis.”