The Rock Chalkboard

2021 Top 80 prospect Jonas Aidoo decommits from Marquette
Jonas Aidoo, the No. 80 overall prospect in the 247Sports Top150, has decommitted from Marquette, he announced on Monday night.

Bill Self comments on Tyon Grant-Foster's transfer decision
“Tyon and I visited today and he told me of his intention of putting his name in the portal,” Self said. “I support that decision. We all have enjoyed Tyon being here. He is a tremendous young man that has a great future and we all support him moving forward in his basketball career.”

NBA announces draft withdrawal dates
College basketball teams will once again face a significantly amount of limbo when trying to build their 2021-22 rosters. The NBA announced Monday that while the NBA Draft would be held closer to its traditional date, on July 29, the withdrawal deadline for players would stretch all the way until July 19.

Source: KU basketball guard Tyon Grant-Foster enters transfer portal
Tyon Grant-Foster's stock was high when he chose KU basketball back in 2019. In fact, KU coach Bill Self said he believed Grant-Foster, the No. 2-ranked JUCO prospect and a four-star recruit per 247Sports, had pro ball potential.

Four-star Tamar Bates asks for release from Texas following Shaka Smart's exit
A 6-foot-5 native of Kansas City who who has played a starring role for one of the nation's top programs at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG this season, Bates has decided to seek a release in the wake of head coach Shaka Smart's departure for Marquette.

Reviewing KU basketball's top 5 wins in 2020-21
KU basketball's season came to end last week, as the team fell in the NCAA Tournament to USC. The Jayhawks had an up-and-down year, at one point being ranked in the top five before falling out of the rankings entirely. The Jayhawks settled as a No. 3 seed in March Madness.

Bits o Chalk

Baylor Bears' rebuilding effort progresses into first Final Four since 1950
"I was worried that I was going to be able to stay up this late," Drew said. "But anyway [it's] just pure joy, excitement. Obviously, tired because it's late. And it was an emotional game. But again, seeing our guys having a chance to cut down the net and celebrate, doesn't get much better than that come March."

Kim Mulkey of Baylor Lady Bears says NCAA should do away with COVID-19 testing for Final Four
"After the games today and tomorrow, there's four teams left, I think, on the men's side and the women's side," Mulkey said, unprompted, during her postgame news conference. "They need to dump the COVID testing. Wouldn't it be a shame to keep COVID testing and then you got kids that test positive or something and they don't get to play in the Final Four? So you just need to forget the COVID tests and get the four teams playing in each Final Four and go battle it out."

Baylor calls foul on non-call at end of Elite Eight loss to UConn
UConn is headed to its 13th consecutive Women's Final Four -- with a chance at a 12th national championship -- after a controversial non-call at the end of the Huskies' 69-67 victory over Baylor on Monday night at the Alamodome.

Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns reflects on 'emotional' night as father attends first game since Jackie Cruz-Towns' death
Before the Minnesota Timberwolves tipped off against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night, Karl-Anthony Towns jogged over to the stands and reached out to grasp hands with a fan in a white No. 32 jersey that said "Towns" on the back. The fan was Karl-Anthony's father, Karl Towns Sr.

Eraser Dust

Biden Pushes Mask Mandate as C.D.C. Director Warns of ‘Impending Doom’ - The New York Times
The administration is stepping up the pace of vaccinations and expanding access to shots, but it remains in a race against a virus on the upswing.

With ship now freed, a probe into Suez Canal blockage begins
Experts boarded the massive container ship Tuesday that had blocked Egypt’s vital Suez Canal and disrupted global trade for nearly a week, seeking answers to a single question that could have billions of dollars in legal repercussions: What went wrong?

Biden Approval Rating On Coronavirus, Economy, Immigration : NPR
Americans say President Biden is faring well when it comes to his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and, to a lesser extent, the economy, a new NPR/Marist poll finds. But immigration looks like it will continue to be a thorn in the president's side.

Noel Gallagher Wishes Oasis Had Finished With Onstage Fight
He added that “the fight would have carried on to the stage, maybe not the physical fighting but the verbals between us. ... Sometimes I think, 'I wish I had the memory of that gig.' That would have been the way to go out. But it had to happen.”

Nicolas Cage Doesn't Like Seth Rogen, And The Pineapple Express Star Knows Exactly Why - CINEMABLEND
Considering that The Green Hornet wasn't exactly a "dark and gritty" superhero movie, that setup maybe wasn't entirely off the table, but then it seems that Cage wasn't done yet. Rogen explains that later when he met with the actor to discuss the role further, Cage had a new plan, to play the role as a "white Bahamian" with a thick Caribbean accent. He then performed a brief scene where he would cover the Green Hornet in pig's blood as part of a "voodoo ritual." Nicolas Cage did not get the role and the part of the Russian mobster was played by Christoph Waltz.

Pete Doherty says he's "mostly clean" and enjoys eating French cheese toasties | NME
“At the moment I’m quite clean. I stopped taking heroin and ketamine. I like experimenting, making cocktails with champagne, a bit of rum, orange juice, I’m coming across like a bit of an alcoholic, but I’m not — I like a nice glass of water.”