The Rock Chalkboard

Defensive switch a defining moment in KU basketball's win vs. UTEP
“The defining moment as much as anything else is when Marcus guarded Williams,” Self said. “I don’t think we would’ve ever started Marcus on Williams. I don’t think you do that for 40 minutes, but during the key moments — the last 10 minutes or 14 minutes or whatever it was — he did a great job on him.”

Three takeaways: Reviewing KU basketball's win vs. UTEP
McCormack finished Thursday's game with a line of 18 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks, but such a thing would not tell the whole picture of his game. McCormack struggled — on both ends — with his matchup against UTEPs Bryson Williams in the first half. It wasn't until later in the game when the scales tipped

Dajuan Harris 'a spark' for KU basketball in win over UTEP
“I was just waiting for him to go corner,” said Harris. “I was really looking at [Christian Braun] on the other wing, but I also saw Ochai running down to the corner. I just tried to make a good pass and not turn the ball over.”

Quick recap and instant analysis: No. 13 KU basketball vs. UTEP
Winners of six of seven, No. 13 KU basketball entered Thursday's contest with UTEP hoping to finish the regular season on a positive note. The Jayhawks played their previously-scheduled senior day contest on Saturday, when they defeated Baylor, but scheduled the UTEP game to avoid an 11-day layoff going into the Big 12 Tournament.

Specific accusations emerge against Les Miles for actions with female students at LSU
Former LSU and current Kansas football coach Les Miles is accused of texting female students, taking them to his condo alone, making them feel uncomfortable and, on at least one occasion, kissing a student, an internal investigative report released by LSU says, according to USA Today. The investigation did not find that Miles had sexual relationships with any of the women, but did define the behavior as “inappropriate,” according to USA Today.

Bits o Chalk

Tom Brady rookie card sells for record $1.32 million
"I lived in Boston for 10 years and so am a huge fan of Brady," Park said in comments posted to PWCC Marketplace's Instagram account. "I've also had a love of collecting cards since I was a kid. Given Brady's uncontested status as GOAT in football, this card is an important piece of sports history and of any collection."

NBA commissioner Adam Silver says fans should consider All-Star Weekend a 'television-only event'
"The message within the NBA community is that we're going to be operating in a mini bubble," Silver said in an interview with ESPN on Wednesday. "There will be no NBA functions [for fans] to participate in. We appreciate their support and hope they'll watch our All-Star Game on television ... this is a television-only event in Atlanta."

Draymond Green video fires up Michigan to clinch Big Ten men's basketball title vs. Michigan State
"He had a nice little video I wanted the guys to listen to," Howard said after the game. "I think they really enjoyed watching it and listening to the words that were said."

Greg McDermott suspended by Creighton after racially insensitive comments
Creighton men's basketball coach Greg McDermott has been suspended from all team activities for racially insensitive comments he made to his players last week, the school announced Thursday night.

LeBron James takes Giannis Antetokounmpo first in 2021 NBA All-Star draft; Utah Jazz stars go last
"I just want to say something, because there's no slander to the Utah Jazz," James said with a smile. "But you guys got to understand, just like in video games growing up, we never played with Utah. Even as great as Karl Malone and John Stockton were, we never would have picked those guys. Never."

Eraser Dust

Kelly Loeffler Just Lost Her WNBA Team to a Player She Refused to Meet
The now-former franchise owner is of course Trumpist lickspittle Kelly Loeffler, who lost her bid for Georgia’s senate seat to the Rev. Raphael Warnock. The team is the Atlanta Dream. The player is two-time WNBA champ Renee Montgomery. And this is truly news to celebrate.

From Jordan to LeBron, our experts pick every NBA franchise's greatest dunker
But which player holds the crown for each franchise? With the slam dunk contest set for halftime of Sunday's All-Star Game this season, we asked our group of NBA insiders to vote on the most iconic dunker for each franchise. Let the debate begin.

Retailers put brakes on Texas and Mississippi move to scrap mask mandates - CBS News
Despite the push to reopen, Texas and Mississippi residents will still need to wear face masks if they want to step inside many supermarkets and other large retail chains. The retailers, which include Kroger, Target and Walgreens, cited guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in continuing to require masks and take other measures to protect workers and consumers from the virus.

Report: State hid nursing home deaths at direction of Cuomo's team | KOMO
Embattled New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is facing more allegations over his administration's handling of nursing home deaths during the coronavirus pandemic.

Biden faces criticism over push to vaccinate teachers | TheHill
The plan, announced Tuesday, uses the administration's partnership with pharmacies to prioritize giving educators at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine this month.

In making the announcement, Biden said educators should be treated like essential employees.

Tom Morello responds to accusation of ‘white privilege’: ‘I’m not white’ | The Independent
Mr Morello was in fact born to an American mother, Mary, who is of Irish and Italian descent, while his father, Ngethe Njoroge, is a Kenyan diplomat who served as the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom in the 1970s.