The Rock Chalkboard

Bill Self praises David McCormack's defensive improvement
David McCormack is not Udoka Azubuike when it comes to defense. McCormack is not as big as the 2020 first-round NBA Draft selection by the Utah Jazz, nor is he as athletic — though very few are, especially at the college level.

Kansas football's Pooka Williams gets virtual NFL Draft Combine invite
Former KU players to receive the honor in that span were eventual sixth-round NFL Draft selection Hakeem Adeniji — plus Azur Kamara — last year, as well as Daniel Wise (2019, undrafted) and Dorance Armstrong (2018, fourth-round selection).

Latest ESPN bracketology projections as of March 2
3. Kansas vs. 14. Eastern Washington

Newly-offered 2023 SG KJ Lewis gives impressions of KU basketball
KJ Lewis was "born into a basketball family," as he puts it. Not only does he have a sister who played, but his mother, Monica Ramirez, actually played and coached at UTEP, in addition to stops at the high school level.

Bits o Chalk

Tom Brady talks Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Super Bowl boat parade on late-night TV
First of all, I was not thinking at that moment. It was not a thought. It was, 'This seems really fun to do,'" a laughing Brady said during Tuesday night's show. "Not to mention, when you get your hands on one of those trophies, there's a lot of really sharp edges on the bottom. ... I found out later, had that been an incomplete pass, that would have went down like 80 feet. I'm so happy that [tight end] Cam [Brate caught it]."

Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James out for Wednesday's game vs. Sacramento Kings
LeBron James will miss his first game of the season when the Los Angeles Lakers play a road game against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday in their final outing before the NBA All-Star break, the Lakers said.

Barcelona presidential hopeful Joan Laporta: Lionel Messi leaves if I don't win
Messi, 33, could walk away for nothing in June when his contract expires. He has not yet decided on his future beyond the end of the season, though, and will listen to the incoming president's proposal.

Creighton Bluejays' Greg McDermott uses racially insensitive comments to men's basketball team
"On February 27th, after an emotionally tough loss on the road, I addressed our student-athletes and staff in the postgame locker room and used a terribly inappropriate analogy in making a point about staying together as a team despite the loss," McDermott said in a statement released via Twitter. "Specifically, I said: 'Guys, we got to stick together. We need both feet in. I need everybody to stay on the plantation. I can't have anybody leave the plantation.'

eraser dust

Biden COVID-19 relief bill heads to Senate with $3,600 child tax credit
Democrats want to increase the child tax credit up to $3,600 per child under age 6 and $3,000 for children up to age 17 for one year to help combat the economic damage of the pandemic. Some liberals are pushing even further to make the tax credit permanent. The current tax credit is up to $2,000 per child

Gonzaga May Miss March’s Madness - The New York Times
In normal times, even fans who don’t follow college basketball would be feeling nervous anticipation while the No. 1-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs chase history. Few men’s basketball teams in recent memory have been as dominant or as fun to watch, and if this midmajor program can keep winning and finish the N.C.A.A. tournament with a national title, it will deserve to be mentioned among college hoops’ greats.

Roger Daltrey's opinion on first watching Led Zeppelin live
The Who singer Roger Daltrey's opinion on watching Led Zeppelin live for the first time and why he loves Robert Plant, which is a contrast to Pete Townshend.

AICPA Urges IRS to Extend 2021 Tax Deadline | CPA Practice Advisor
In a letter sent earlier last month, the AICPA called attention to the hardship that millions of taxpayers and tax practitioners are facing while making good faith efforts to comply with their tax obligations. The AICPA called for relief from underpayment and late payment penalties for the 2020 taxable year.

Flathead Co. confirms 7 additional COVID-19 related deaths
The deaths occurred over the course of the past month, and five of the deaths are associated with residential care facilities, according to a news release.

Whitefish tenants receive eviction letters after new owner purchases property | KECI
The Whitefish Housing Authority say the average rent for the complex is $560, and the new owner plans to more than double it to $1,400.

Chris D'Elia accused of soliciting child porn from teen in lawsuit
Chris D'Elia has been accused of sexually exploiting and soliciting pornography from a 17-year-old in a new lawsuit.

D.C. police, FBI on alert ahead of QAnon's 'true Inauguration Day'
An internal memo sent by the Timothy P. Blodgett, the acting House sergeant-at-Arms, which was obtained by NBC News, said his office "is working closely with the U.S. Capitol Police to monitor information related to March 4th and potential protests and demonstration activity surrounding what some have described as the 'true Inauguration Day.'"