The Rock Chalkboard

WATCH: Joel Embiid suffers left knee injury
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star and MVP candidate Joel Embiid suffered a hyperextended left knee while dunking against the Washington Wizards Friday night. Embiid left the game soon after, walking back to the locker room with what ESPN reporter Tim Bontemps described as “a fairly heavy limp.”

Hot board 2.0: Who will replace Les Miles with Kansas football?
On Monday, Kansas football announced that the program had "mutually" agreed to part ways with head football coach Les Miles, who was at the helm of the program for two seasons. The program will look to bring in a new coach after filling the newly-vacant athletic director position, KU chancellor Douglas Girod said on Wednesday.

Report: Thunder, Pistons swap Hamidou Diallo and Svi Mykhailiuk
"Oklahoma City is trading guard Hamidou Diallo to Detroit for forward Svi Mykhailiuk and a 2027 second-round pick, sources tell ESPN," Wojnarowski wrote on Twitter.

NCAA Tournament committee chair reveals status of Kansas, Virginia
Within the last couple of days, three teams have seen their NCAA tournament hopes thrown into question: Kansas, Virginia and Duke. All three were removed from their respective conference tournaments after members of their programs tested positive for COVID-19, and that might have brought an end to the Blue Devils' March Madness hopes since they likely needed another win or two to get in.

Report: Selection committee planning to include Kansas, Virginia in NCAA Tournament despite COVID-19
“Source: The NCAA Tournament Selection Committee went through the bracket today and included both Kansas and Virginia without hesitation. Plans are moving forward for both to be playing next week,” Rothstein tweeted.

The varying states of NCAA tournament Bracketology
The realities of the coronavirus pandemic mean the 2021 NCAA tournament will be held at a single destination – the state of Indiana – with multiple venues utilized and the usual tournament schedule adjusted. The Final Four is slated to be held at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 3 and 5, but uncertainty will continue to reign following a regular season characterized by numerous cancellations and postponements throughout college basketball.

Bits o Chalk

Sources -- Kansas City Chiefs to restructure QB Patrick Mahomes' contract, save $17M on salary cap
The team is expected to convert Mahomes' $21.7 million roster bonus to a signing bonus in the coming days, which would save the Chiefs $17 million against the salary cap, sources said.

Michigan coach Juwan Howard ejected after shouting match with Maryland's Mark Turgeon
Michigan men's basketball coach Juwan Howard was ejected midway through the second half after getting into a shouting match with Maryland coach Mark Turgeon in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals Friday in Indianapolis.

Oklahoma prep game broadcaster denounced for using racial epithet
They're kneeling? [Expletive] them," one of the men said, video of which later went viral. "I hope Norman gets their ass kicked ... [Expletive] [epithet]."

Oklahoma State stuns Baylor, nears 'vision' of Big 12 men's tournament title
"There was actually a vision," Likekele said. "I don't know how to explain it, it was a different feeling this year. ... Coming in this year, all one through 15 had the same belief."

Juventus boss Pirlo defends Ronaldo record after Champions League criticism
Andrea Pirlo defended Cristiano Ronaldo's record at Juventus following criticism after the Serie A champions' elimination from the Champions League against Porto.

Eraser Dust

A month without water: In Jackson, Mississippi, struggling residents fear next outage
His family hunkered down with a generator, and the reserve of water they’d bought in preparation for the winter storm. By the end of the week, the ice had thawed. But when they checked the faucet, nothing came out.

Almost 100 Customers Are Sick After Eating at This Popular Fast-Food Chain
According to Food Safety News, almost 100 cases of illness have now been reported from the specific Arby's location, and while the source of the contamination is still unknown, health officials have stated the pathogen in question is norovirus. The virus is highly contagious and spreads easily, making it difficult to eradicate.

Bigfork School Board extends mask mandate until April 9
The Bigfork School Board on Wednesday voted to extend the campus-wide mask mandate until Friday, April 9, to give teachers and staff an opportunity to get vaccinated.

Avatar passes Avengers: Endgame to retake box office crown after China re-release - The Verge
Avatar has once again retaken its crown as the most lucrative movie of all time, with James Cameron’s 2009 film reaching a new all-time box office high to beat out 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, which took the top spot with its $2.7902 billion take that year.

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez break up, call off engagement
“Don’t mind me, just taking a sail-fie… What are your plans for the weekend?” he joked in the Friday post.

IRS says new round of COVID relief payments on the way - StarTribune.com
Along with daylight saving time, this weekend could bring some Americans fatter bank balances.