The Rock Chalkboard

Las Vegas predicts No. 5 Kansas vs. No. 8 Creighton
Guarding the 3-point line will be priorities Nos. 1 and 2. The Bluejays have taken 43.2% of their field goal attempts from behind the arc so far this year, and have done so despite their top two sharpshooters having slow starters to the season. All-America candidate Marcus Zegarowski (75 made 3-pointers last year, 42.4%) and wing Mitch Ballock (93 makes, 43.5%) came into the year as arguably America’s most proven outside shooting duo. Together with Ty-Shon Alexander (81, 39.9%), they basically shot Creighton to a share of the Big East title a year ago.

Announcement date, details for OL Marcus Mbow
Kansas, Purdue and Arizona State all hold Crystal Ball predictions for Mbow, although those Sun Devil predictions are older. He was committed to them for a time, but was told in October that his scholarship was no longer available.

Previewing No. 5 KU basketball's showdown vs. No. 8 Creighton
KU basketball will face another early-season test against the No. 8 Creighton Bluejays on Tuesday, Dec. 8. The Jayhawks are 9-6 all-time against the Bluejays with the most recent meeting coming in 1974 — when KU defeated Creighton 55-54.

Source: Kansas freshman Clinton Anokwuru enters transfer portal
On Monday, Kansas defensive end Clinton Anokwuru appeared in the transfer portal, a source said. Anokwuru is listed at 6-3, 224 pounds. He joined the Jayhawks as a three-star edge rusher in the class of 2020 from Fort Bend Bush (Tx.) HS, choosing the Jayhawks over Washington State, among others.

Bits o Chalk

A support team, Taco Bell and trust - How Washington's Ron Rivera faced cancer without missing a game
"For breakfast, I had pancakes and to help swallow, I had what amounted to three cups of syrup on the two pancakes," Rivera said. "Water tasted terrible. The only things I could truly drink were root beer and Mountain Dew. Those tasted normal and helped me eat from that point on. What's crazy is one of the foods that helped me get through this was Taco Bell tacos, for whatever reason."

Pittsburgh Steelers no longer undefeated after blowing 14-point lead to Washington Football Team
"I feel like we just kind of relaxed a little," wide receiver James Washington said. "I don't have an explanation right now, but we just have to play better next week. We can't dwell on this. There's plenty of more ball to play."

UNLV QB Max Gilliam apologizes for eating sushi off model during episode of 'Below Deck'
Gilliam, a senior from Thousand Oaks, California, apologized on Twitter for eating sushi off a nude model during an episode that aired last month and was reportedly filmed in Antigua in February and March.

Stephen Curry says extension talks ongoing, wants to finish career with Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors star guard Stephen Curry says the possibility of signing an extension with the organization is "on the table" and reiterated that he is hopeful he eventually will retire from the only professional team he has ever known.

LeBron James says Kyrie Irving's comments implying lack of faith in late-game abilities 'hurt me a little bit'
"I was a little like, 'Damn.' Once I got the whole transcript, I was like, 'Damn,'" James said, adding that he made sure to read Irving's full comments before reacting to them. "I wasn't like, 'Oh, you trippin'. I've hit game-winning shots my whole life.' I was not like that. I was like, 'Damn.' Because ... I played with Kyrie for three seasons [with the Cleveland Cavaliers]. The whole time when I was there, I only wanted to see him be a MVP of our league. I only cared about his success. And it just didn't align. It just didn't align. And we were able to win a championship. That's the craziest thing. We were still able to win a championship, and we could never align. But I only cared about his well-being, both on and off the floor.

Eraser Dust

The Marines And The Racist Porn Actor Who Tried To Start A ‘Modern Day SS’ | HuffPost
In 2016, Liam Collins, then just a teenager living in New Jersey, had a very specific vision for his life. He was going to join the U.S. Marines, get the training he needed, and then form a fascist paramilitary group that would use violence and terror to create a whites-only ethnostate.

Biden to nominate retired Army general Lloyd Austin as defense secretary, the first Black man to hold the role - CBS News
President-elect Joe Biden plans to nominate retired Army General Lloyd Austin to be his first defense secretary, multiple people familiar with the plans tell CBS News. If confirmed, Austin — the former head of U.S. Central Command and military forces in Iraq — would be the first Black man to lead the Pentagon.

COVID-19 relief deal: No stimulus checks but there's extra jobless aid
Lawmakers in Washington have been deadlocked over another stimulus package for months. Last week, however, key lawmakers appeared to make concessions in hopes a bill could pass before both chambers leave for the holidays.

Chuck Yeager, pilot who broke the sound barrier, dies at 97 - CNN
US Air Force officer and test pilot Chuck Yeager, known as "the fastest man alive," has died at the age of 97.

Courtney Love recalls time Liam Gallagher gave her an early preview of Oasis' 'Songbird'
“At some point, sunrise almost with everyone else gone ( that gross almost sun rise feel! You all know it!) he grabs a guitar and after I play “hold onto me” which I was extremely proud of , my first love song,” she wrote. “He goes next and plays the most sublime “songbird” . I kept thinking . Liams the talent ! It’s not Noel! ( unfair I’m sure . It’s them both ).

Reducing lead in drinking water could be costly for Kalispell schools
“Especially in elementary schools where you have a sink that you could possibly get drinking water from and a drinking fountain. You could have conceivably two fixtures for every classroom. Plus, your restrooms, plus your kitchens,” commented Kalispell Public Schools Superintendent Micah Hill.

Christchurch Mosque Attack Shows How Killer Eluded New Zealand's Scrutiny : NPR
It's one of the findings outlined in a 792-page report released Tuesday by the Royal Commission, New Zealand's highest level of inquiry. It concludes that the country's national security agencies spent an "inappropriate" amount of time focusing on the potential threat of Islamic terrorists in the months leading up to the attack.