The Rock Chalkboard

The Brent Dearmon formula? How KU football's OC identifies QBs
"I, just from the different places I've been at, have come up with a secret formula that I won't give out to anybody," Dearmon joked. "It goes back to my math degree."

Newly-offered 2022 QB Kyle Lowe has special ties to KU assistant
Kyle Lowe, a dual-threat quarterback in the 2022 class, said one of the main things he's looking for in the college he commits to is a relationship with the coaches. From that perspective, one of his recent offers might have a leg up on the competition.

Scouting Sunday: KU hoops among leaders for 4-star Nolan Hickman
Nolan Hickman has some big names in on him right now, but two — according to 247Sports' Josh Gershon — who appear to be standing out some are Kansas and Washington. The Jayhawks, in fact, recently earned a Crystal Ball pick in Hickman's recruitment from 247Sports national basketball analyst Brian Snow, who is batting over 91 percent in the class of 2021.

ESPN releases new projected NCAA Tournament bracket
The Big 12 could be absolutely lethal at the top of college basketball this year, at least according to a recent projected NCAA Tournament bracket floated by ESPN's Joe Lunardi. Lunardi pointed out that he had a whopping five Big 12 schools — that's half the league — among his top 12 teams, with each landing at least a No. 3 seed.

Five-star Matthew Cleveland set to announce
In fact, Cleveland has impressed as much as anybody this spring. At 6-foot-6, Cleveland is a big time athlete and is someone who has proven that he can score from all three levels on the court, while also flashing ability as a defender and someone who can rebound the basketball as well.

Ted Owens recalls unique path to becoming KU hoops head coach
"I tell my son, who is the coach of Holland Hall prep school here; he's 36 years old and really a good coach," Owens began. "At 34 I was the head coach at Kansas. And I said, 'What happened to me will never happen again.'"

Former KU guard Jacque Vaughn leads tribute to John Lewis
"In life, if there were people who I could go to dinner with, I have a list of five," Vaughn said. "We lost one of those five yesterday. I want you guys to take a little peek."

Bits o Chalk

Coronavirus: Ballon d'Or cancelled for first time in award's history
"There will be no edition in 2020, because it turns out, after thoughtful consideration, that all the conditions are not met. We believe that such a singular year cannot -- and should not -- be treated as an ordinary one," editor-in-chief of France Football Pascal Ferre said in a statement.

LeBron James rookie card goes for record $1.8M at auction
A 2003-04 LeBron James Upper Deck rookie Patch Parallel card sold at auction for $1.845 million on Sunday at Goldin Auctions to Lob.com CEO Leore Avidar.

Jack Nicklaus says he tested positive for coronavirus, antibodies
Jack Nicklaus revealed Sunday during the CBS telecast of the Memorial that he and his wife tested positive for the coronavirus at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Raiders owner Mark Davis leaning toward holding games without fans
With the NFL leaving it up to individual teams and/or local municipality guidelines as to how many, if any, fans can attend games, Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis is leaning toward not having any fans attend games at Las Vegas' new Allegiant Stadium this season.

Players blitz NFL with tweets about safe return
NFL Players Association president JC Tretter tweeted: "What you are seeing today is our guys standing up for each other and for the work their union leadership has done to keep everyone as safe as possible. The NFL needs to listen to our union and adopt the experts' recommendations #wewanttoplay."

Eraser Dust

Gunman Shoots Husband and Son of a Federal Judge, Esther Salas, in New Jersey - The New York Times
Judge Salas was home but not wounded in the shooting at her residence in North Brunswick, according to an official.

How John Lewis befriended a young boy and changed his life forever - CNNPolitics
Tybre's eyes welled up with tears the minute he saw Lewis, who came over, read the sign and hugged him as he spoke quietly to the boy who hung on every word. None of us who witnessed the meeting could keep from crying. Even Capitol Police officers there -- trained to be stoic -- were unable to hold back their tears.

$600 Unemployment Benefits Are About To End, Hitting Households And The Economy : Coronavirus Live Updates : NPR
Tens of millions of Americans who lost their jobs because of the pandemic are now in danger of having their incomes slashed for a second time. The supplemental unemployment benefits of $600 per week that Congress approved four months ago are set to expire in less than two weeks — threatening to hurt strapped households and the U.S. economy, as billions of dollars' worth in spending suddenly comes to a halt.

Mark Zuckerberg surfboards in Hawaii with way too much sunscreen
New photos show Facebook honcho Mark Zuckerberg zipping around on an electric surfboard in Hawaii — while wearing enough white sunscreen on his face to make the Batman super villain blush.

Flathead boat showrooms see spike in sales | KECI
“It’s a great way to social distance -- everybody wants to be away, with their family, outdoors is a great activity, and boating is a natural way to do that and have a lot of fun,” Captain's Marine owner Randell Seyfert said.

Mountains' majesties: Montana's peaks define state | State & Regional | missoulian.com
Glacier National Parks hold the summits that claim the greatest relief of all of Montana’s mountains. Many of the rises soar 6,000 feet above their bases. GNP holds only six peaks higher than 10,000 feet but is the relief that makes them seem so much higher. Mount Cleveland, Glacier’s loftiest point climbs almost 7,000 feet in less than 4 miles.