The Rock Chalkboard

Bill Self, KU basketball players preview rematch with K-State
You'd never get KU coach Bill Self to say it at a press conference — in a million years. But it's quite possible, perhaps even likely, that Wednesday's game will be the last gimme, so to speak, for KU basketball this season.

Crystal Ball day: Where Kansas football stands with 2022 class
Today is Crystal Ball day — football edition — around the 247Sports network. Those of you who have followed us here at Phog.net over the last three years (yes, it's been that long) know I'm a little more guarded with my Crystal Ball picks, which is why I've hit on more than 92 percent of them at the present time.

Bill Self talks recruiting difficulties caused by NCAA investigation
A reporter followed up, asking Self if he knew directly of any recruits the Jayhawks had lost out on because of the NCAA investigation into the program. The Jayhawks are currently facing allegations of five Level-I violations that will be heard out through the NCAA's new IARP process. Kansas is currently disputing all of the allegations.

“Oh yeah, no question, no question, yeah,” Self answered. “Absolutely.”

3-star WDE Micah Wing hoping to make trip to see Kansas football
Wing first started to notice he had some real football talent playing for the AAU travel squad the Delaware Ducks — a team he said won a lot. Armed with the confidence of being a standout on a winning team, Wing dove headfirst into the world of high school football. And that approach started to pay off in the summer before his junior season, as he added offers from Boston College, Kansas, Pitt and Rutgers.

Class of 2022 big man Riley Mulvey updates his recruitment
Class of 2022 big man Riley Mulvey recruitment has been progressing as he plays his junior season at St. Thomas More (Conn.). As of now Mulvey plans on waiting till this school year ends to either narrow down a list or make his final decision. Iowa, Syracuse ,Yale, Kansas, Columbia, Virginia Tech, and UPenn are among some of the schools pushing hard for the talented big man.

Eraser Dust

Japan starts COVID-19 vaccination campaign with eye on Summer Olympics
Japan launched its coronavirus vaccination campaign Wednesday, months after other major economies started giving shots and amid questions about whether the drive would reach enough people quickly enough to save a Summer Olympics already delayed by the pandemic.

LA Galaxy sign Mexico wonderkid Alcala to first professional contract
LA Galaxy have completed the signing of Mexican teenage prodigy Alex Alcala, the club announced.

Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James talks Brooklyn Nets trio ahead of matchup
The Brooklyn Nets are the NBA's latest superteam, an offensive juggernaut featuring two former MVPs in Kevin Durant and James Harden and the owner of one of the biggest shots in NBA Finals history in Kyrie Irving, who also is widely considered to have the best handles the sport has seen.

Stefanos Tsitsipas upsets Rafael Nadal in Aussie Open 5-setter
"I'm speechless. I have no words to describe what just happened on the court. My tennis speaks for itself," Tsitsipas said after the 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 7-5 win.

Bits o Chalk

How one Texas storm exposed an energy grid unprepared for climate change
A devastating winter storm that has plunged Texas into an electricity crisis offers warning signs for the U.S. as the Biden administration seeks to prepare for a future in which extreme weather is a greater risk and America is almost entirely powered by renewable energy.

Bam Margera Kicked Off of 'Jackass 4,' Couldn't Abide by Conditions
As for what he was supposed to do ... our sources say there would be routine drug tests -- including urine samples -- plus committing to staying sober, blowing into a breathalyzer, taking his medication and seeing a psychologist while on the job. It's unclear which specific condition was the final straw.

Texas Mayor Claims People Without Electricity Are 'Lazy'
Tim Boyd, the mayor of Colorado City, Texas, announced his resignation on Tuesday following a viral Facebook post where he whined about residents who wanted help during the extreme weather that has caused widespread power outages and dangerously cold conditions for millions of people throughout the state. Boyd accused some Texans who didn’t have power of being “lazy” and looking for “handouts” because of “socialism.

WHO Scientists Say Wuhan Lab Leak 'Extremely Unlikely' to Have Caused Covid-19 Pandemic
Scientists assembled by the World Health Organization to investigate the origins of the covid-19 pandemic have announced their early findings. They concluded that the first known cases traced to a seafood market in Wuhan, China in December 2019 likely don’t represent the original source of the outbreak. At the same time, they considered the possibility of a lab accident causing the pandemic “extremely unlikely,” and speculated that the virus wasn’t circulating locally in people for very long before the first cases were discovered.

Meta Nostalgia: WandaVision and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Dramatically different as Wanda Maximofff and Sabrina Spellman’s respective paths to the small screen were, the most recent seasons of both Disney+’s WandaVision and Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina have been particularly keen on telling stories about our relationships with television and nostalgia.