The Rock Chalkboard

KU's Bryce Thompson finishes in top 20 of final Top247 rankings
Ranked outside the top 100 at one point, Thompson skyrocketed into the top 20 after a spring and early-summer slate that showed his growth playing point guard and in his vision, strength and scoring. 247Sports scouting director Jerry Meyer was particularly enamored with Thompson, telling Phog.net he had taken his game "to another level."

Comparing Les Miles' first seasons at Oklahoma State, Kansas
Looking back through Miles' coaching career, an obvious parallel can be drawn between his time at Oklahoma State and Kansas. In fact, Miles even said upon his arrival at KU he believed there to be more talent on the KU roster than past situations he inherited.

3-star Moses Oladejo building 'good relationship' with Kansas
The 3-star outside linebacker was identified by 247Sports' Greg Biggins as an under-the-radar player who "could have blown up" with a spring slate. Biggins added that Oladejo "should be recruited at the national level," which has not necessarily happened thus far.

KU's Bill Self talks building a program vs. sustaining success
You take over a program that hasn't won double-digit games in each of the last two years — and we're talking college basketball, not football. In your first season, you lose 15-straight games to close the year. Then you lose your first three to start Year 2

NCAA approves 'blanket waiver requests' during pandemic
On Wednesday, the NCAA Division I Council Coordination Committee approved three blanket waiver requests made by multiple conferences over the last month. According to the release, basketball and football student-athletes are now allowed to participate in currently defined summer athletic activities without being enrolled in a summer school program.

Bits o Chalk

NFL tells teams to have facility reopening protocols in place by May 15
At that point, Goodell said teams can expect to be advised when their facilities can reopen. The memo made no mention of a previous NFL policy that said no facilities could open until all 32 facilities are eligible to do so, raising the possibility of staggered reopenings around the league. NFL owners are expected to have further discussions of reopening facilities, and their approach moving forward, during their May 19 virtual league meeting.

Penn State's James Franklin says conferences should play even without all members
"I can't imagine that right now we're all going to open at the same time," he told ESPN. "If the SEC, for example, opens up a month earlier than the Big Ten, and the Big Ten is able to open up and 12 of the 14 schools, if two schools can't open, I don't see a conference -- any conference -- penalizing 80% or 75% of the schools because 25% of them can't open.

NBA all-player call set for Friday, sources say
That's the same day the league has permitted teams to reopen practice facilities for voluntary, social-distanced workouts in areas where that has been permitted by local public health officials, in accordance with the detailed safety protocols that the NBA crafted with guidance from public health officials, the CDC and infectious disease specialists.

MLB return-to-play proposal expected within week, sources say
Major League Baseball expects to offer a return-to-play proposal to the MLB Players Association within a week, as teams have begun to encourage players to prepare for a "spring" training that could begin in mid-June and a season that could start in early July, sources familiar with the discussions told ESPN.

Eraser Dust

Ahmaud Arbery: Supporters are running 2.23 miles on the birthday of a man killed while jogging - CNN
Supporters will gather virtually Friday to mourn Ahmaud Arbery, a black man who was fatally shot while jogging in February, by putting on their sneakers and posting on social media to say #IRunWithMaud.

Fact check: Trump falsely claims Obama left him 'nothing' in the national stockpile
NPR toured one of the Strategic National Stockpile's warehouses in June 2016, describing a massive warehouse with rows of supplies, including ventilators; it noted a locked section for addictive medicines and a freezer full of temperature-controlled supplies. According to the report, an official valued the stockpile at $7 billion

'People mock me for what I called my kids as I named them after my favourite band' - Mirror Online
The parent recently took to Mumsnet to share her fears, saying that she believes people judge her for naming her sons Liam and Noel.

Flathead resort remains closed during phase 1 | KECI
“We do want tourists and people coming in -- spending money and helping our local economy, but I also think that all business owners here have a duty to ourselves and community to keep our community safe,” owner Jenny Evans said.

Kalispell farm with surplus in potatoes looks at ways to get rid of them | KECI
Streich Farms donated potatoes to some Indian reservations and Libby.

Liam Gallagher Mark Lanegan feud: what really happened | Louder
Recalling the time his former alma mater Screaming Trees supported Oasis as part of their 1996 US tour, Lanegan writes of falling out with Liam Gallagher after the Mancunian singer mocked the Seattle band as “Howling Branches”. The way he tells it, Oasis abandoned their 13-date tour after eight shows to save Liam from a kicking when the two bands were scheduled to play together again in Miami.