The Rock Chalkboard

What they said: KU basketball retiring Marcus Morris' jersey
"But the biggest thing they did: They made it where it was interesting coming to work most every day. And I mean that from a practice standpoint, I mean that from all standpoints. I loved coaching 'em. And they say young people, if you're around enough of them, it'll keep you young. And they certainly played a big role in aging me but still yet keeping me young [of] thought while they were here."

College basketball top 25 coaches poll gets rankings update
College basketball came filled with big news away from the court. It began early Saturday with the first rankings reveal from the March Madness selection committee. Of course, those rankings are already in need of change after what was a crazy Saturday across the country.

KU basketball's Udoka Azubuike named Big 12 player of the week
In the big man's other game of the week, Azubuike posted 17 points with 12 rebounds and two blocks in a lopsided win against Texas. The game was the first of Azubuike's senior season that he did not start, as he came off the bench a few moments into the contest for what was described as an isolated minor incident by KU assistant Kurtis Townsend on an episode of the KU radio show Hawk Talk.

The most important game in 2020 for every Big 12 football team
Ask any Big 12 football head coach, and they'll tell you that life in a conference that utilizes a round-robin format has its ups and downs. For all the benefits that come with getting to know every single opponent in the league, it also only heightens the chances of chaos unfolding on any given Saturday within the Big 12. Sometimes, too much parity can even cost a conference a bowl bid, or two.

Former KU standout Katie McClure signs with Washington Spirit | KUsports.com
The Washington Spirit of the National Women’s Soccer League announced Monday the signing of all five of the team’s 2020 draft picks, including former Kansas standout Katie McClure.

Notebook: Azur Kamara snags NFL scouting combine invite, giving Jayhawks 2 representatives | KUsports.com
Azur Kamara, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound athlete who played outside linebacker and defensive end during his two years at KU, found out this past weekend, during the latest round of invites, that coaches and personnel decision-makers in the NFL want to have a closer look at him.

Bits o Chalk

Vanessa Bryant expresses grief, anger in Instagram post
"My brain refuses to accept that both Kobe and Gigi are gone,'' she wrote. "It's like I'm trying to process Kobe being gone but my body refuses to accept my Gigi will never come back to me. It feels wrong. Why should I be able to wake up another day when my baby girl isn't being able to have that opportunity?! I'm so mad. She had so much life to live."

XFL's Wildcats fire defensive coordinator Pepper Johnson after losing opener
The XFL's Los Angeles Wildcats made a series of unusual moves Monday, two days after losing their first game in the league's inaugural season.

Chaim Bloom says Red Sox prioritized 'big picture' over fan reaction in trading Mookie Betts
- Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom addressed the blockbuster trade of Mookie Betts and David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers for the first time publicly on Monday, saying the move to trade the star outfielder and pitcher represented the best move for the franchise in "the big picture."

Sources: MLB weighing major changes to postseason, including growing number of teams to 14
Major League Baseball is mulling significant changes to its postseason, including increasing the number of teams from 10 to 14 and adding a reality TV-type format to determine which teams play each other in an expanded wild-card round, sources told ESPN.

Eraser Dust

Deaths hit new high in China’s virus epicentre - BBC News
The Hubei provincial health commission said 103 people died from the virus in Hubei on Monday, up from 97 on Sunday.

Rage Against the Machine Announce 2020 World Tour - Rolling Stone
All proceeds from the first three shows — at El Paso, Texas, Las Cruces, New Mexico and Glendale, Arizona — will go directly to immigrant rights organizations. In addition, portions from ticketing, volunteering and donations will be given to several charities throughout the year.

Popeyes' chicken sandwich sends sales through the roof - CNN
Restaurant Brands International, which owns Popeyes, Burger King and Tim Hortons, reported Monday that sales at all Popeyes restaurants jumped about 42% to $1.3 billion in the last three months of 2019 compared to the same period a year before. At Popeyes restaurants open at least 17 months, sales jumped 34%.

Flathead County law enforcement seeing increase in federal drug indictments
"In 2014, we purchased or seized -- specifically methamphetamine -- about nine pounds throughout that calendar year. In contrast to 2019, where we purchased or seized about 56 pounds," he explained.

Kalispell to Host Woodland Park Waterfowl Meeting - Flathead Beacon
The “Restoring Back to Nature” project aims to control the geese and duck population, which has created a variety of issues in the park including degraded pond health, wildlife-human conflicts, feces accumulation, overgrazing, vehicle safety hazards and increased disease.

Amazon wants to question Trump over loss of $10bn 'war cloud' contract | Technology | The Guardian
Amazon wants Donald Trump to submit to questioning over the tech company’s losing bid for a $10bn military contract.