The Rock Chalkboard

Reaction: Jalen Wilson shines as Kansas lands top-10 win
In a matchup between two top 10 teams, No. 5 Kansas and No. 8 Creighton came down to a free throw from Creighton's All-America candidate Marcus Zegarowski. After hitting the 3-pointer to put Kansas up by three points, Jalen Wilson fouled Zegarowski on his potential game-tying attempt, setting up three free throws with a chance to send the game into overtime.

KU basketball vs. Creighton: Who stood out and who didn't...
It might be time to declare Wilson KU’s best player. In fact, it might be well-past that time. I’m not 100 percent sure where it came from — and even coach Bill Self didn’t expect this level of play — but Wilson is averaging 16 points and nine boards on the season. He has started to figure it all out on both ends of the floor.

Bill Self on KU's Jalen Wilson: 'I love the way he’s playing'
Jalen Wilson's play in the 2020-21 season has already exceeded the expectations of coach Bill Self. Wilson continued his stretch of strong play on Tuesday with a 23-point, 10-rebound double-double against Creighton — a performance that culminated in a game-winning 3, his fourth 3-point make of the contest.

Three takeaways: Reviewing KU basketball's win vs. Creighton
Is it time to worry about free throws? Christian Braun and Jalen Wilson are both good shooters, but both have had free throw woes at times this year. On Tuesday, it was Braun who missed the front-end of a one-and-one that may have sealed the game with 11 seconds left.

Why Bill Self stuck with Bryce Thompson despite late turnover
With 1:09 left in Tuesday's game, Bryce Thompson made a crucial mistake. Clinging to a two-point lead, KU basketball needed to eat clock and find a high-percentage look. As it came to be, the ball wouldn’t even reach the 3-point line.

Bits o Chalk

Division II Fort Hays State stuns Kansas State without two key members of its basketball coaching staff
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Fort Hays State -- a school of 15,908 students in Hays, Kansas -- became the first non-Division I program to beat a major-conference team on the road since Texas A&M Corpus Christi topped Texas Tech on Dec. 18, 2000, in Lubbock, Texas.

Ohio State basketball player Seth Towns takes knee to protest friend's killing in police shooting
To protest his childhood friend's killing by police in Columbus this week, Ohio State forward Seth Towns kneeled before his basketball team's 90-85 victory over Notre Dame on Tuesday night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Michigan AD says he'll meet with football coach Jim Harbaugh after season to discuss his future
"How rumors get started about things before Jim and I sit down and have a conversation, I'm not going to get into," Manuel said. "That's not for me to try to track down, but that's where that is, and that's where we'll be at the end of the season."

Juventus' Ronaldo on Barcelona's Messi: 'Never saw him as a rival'
"I never saw him as a rival. He always tried the best for his team, and I tried the best for mine. I always got on well with him. I am sure he will say the same if you ask him.

Eraser Dust

He Pretended to Be Trump’s Family. Then Trump Fell for It. - The New York Times
Last month, between tweets disputing his election loss, President Trump posted an article from a conservative website that said his sister Elizabeth Trump Grau had just joined Twitter to publicly back her brother’s fight to overturn the vote.

“Thank you Elizabeth,” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter. “LOVE!”

But the Twitter account that prompted the article was not his sister’s. It was a fake profile run by Josh Hall, a 21-year-old food-delivery driver in Mechanicsburg, Pa.

Nipped in the bud? | Montana Free Press
Many conservative lawmakers oppose the legalization of marijuana, an illegal drug under federal law. But they are discovering obstacles to simply passing bills to reverse the initiatives when state legislatures return to work in January. Some marijuana opponents, realizing the limitations to altering a constitutional amendment, are turning to the courts or local officials to undo the measures or at least blunt the effects of legal pot.

Baltimore Ravens WR Dez Bryant says he tested positive just before kickoff
Ravens wide receiver Dez Bryant surprisingly announced he tested positive for COVID-19 just 30 minutes before his much-anticipated reunion with the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday night.

Supreme Court rejects Pennsylvania Republicans' attempt to block election results - CNNPolitics
The Supreme Court on Tuesday denied a request from Pennsylvania Republicans to block certification of the commonwealth's election results, delivering a near fatal blow to the GOP's long-shot bid to invalidate President-elect Joe Biden's victory.

Poll: Majority of Republicans, independents believe Trump will run in 2024 - POLITICO
Among Republicans, 76 percent believed a 2024 run to be likely, along with 60 percent of independents. Democrats were less certain, with only 47 percent believing a run to be likely. Trump has flirted with running again in four years as his unfounded claims of a stolen victory this year increasingly fall apart in court. Still, a majority of Republicans in Congress refuse to recognize President-elect Joe Biden as the electoral victor and Trump continues to enjoy wide support within his party

Another round of stimulus checks? White House pitches $600 payments in coronavirus proposal | Coronavirus | theadvocate.com
The Trump administration dove back into Capitol Hill's confusing COVID-19 negotiations on Tuesday, offering a $916 billion package to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that would send a $600 direct payment to most Americans.

Watch the wintery new video for Liam Gallagher's 'All You're Dreaming Of'
The video starts with a piano playing itself as Gallagher sings in front of a grand open fireplace. He then treks through a snowy woodland which is illuminated by Christmas lights.

Spoilers for last weeks Mandalorian

Drew Magary’s hot Mandalorian take