The Rock Chalkboard

Kansas LB Andrew Simpson granted release from NLI
"I have been granted a release from my National Letter of Intent NLI to the University of Kansas," Simpson said. "I look forward to another opportunity to pursue my academic and athletic goals. Thank you to the coaches and players for the relationships I have built during my process."

New commit Nikki Taylor 'willing to play wherever' Kansas needs him
Nikki Taylor's Kansas football recruitment followed a unique path. First, he built a relationship with KU defensive backs coach Chevis Jackson. In fact, it seemed like the Jayhawks envisioned him playing on that side of the field.

Desire to lead brought Sam Burt back to Kansas football
“Last year just left a little pit in my stomach,” Burt said. “Just didn’t like the way it ended and [I] really think, as a program, we can be so much better than that. As you all know, we have a pretty young team this year, and [I] just thought we could use some people to come back and help lead this program a little more.”

VIP takeaways: Kansas football spring practice No. 6
Kansas football's spring practice slate is underway. Normally, we'd have the chance to check out practices in person for about an hour or so a few times a week, but that obviously has not been the case this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

KU basketball announces signings of Joseph Yesufu, Sydney Curry
“Joseph is an explosive, dynamic scoring guard that will allow us to play an up-tempo, aggressive style on both ends of the floor,” Self said. “He ended last season playing at a high level, including winning an NCAA Tournament game and propelling Drake to a great season.”

KU basketball announces signing of transfer big man Cam Martin
“Cam is going to bring a lot of versatility to our frontcourt, allowing us to play with space and size,” Self said. “Jeff Boschee runs a solid program at Missouri Southern and knows exactly what it takes to play at this level. We’re very excited that Cam is coming to Kansas and look forward to the positive impact he will have on this team.”

Bits o Chalk

Arizona hires Gonzaga assistant Tommy Lloyd as new men's basketball coach
Over the past few weeks, Lloyd had emerged as the favorite to replace Sean Miller in Tucson. Arizona looked at coaches with connections to the Wildcats, namely Pacific's Damon Stoudamire, Georgia Tech's Josh Pastner and Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Miles Simon, but the program opted to go outside the family.

Red-hot Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry eyes teammate Klay Thompson's 3-point record
"I was kind of joking with some of the guys tonight because I remember Chicago, and he did it in three quarters," Curry said of Thompson's record 14 treys. "His 37-point quarter was even crazier, because I had 25 tonight and it just seemed like I was invincible out there; this dude had 12 more points in the same amount of time, so that was crazy in and of itself.

Chicago White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon throws no-hitter against Cleveland Indians
White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon came two outs away from a perfect game but threw the first no-hitter of his career in an 8-0 win over the Indians on Wednesday night.

Eraser Dust

US expels Russian diplomats, imposes new round of sanctions
The Biden administration on Thursday announced the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats and sanctions against nearly three dozen people and companies as it moved to hold the Kremlin accountable for interference in last year’s presidential election and the hacking of federal agencies.

Democrats plan to unveil legislation to expand the US supreme court by four seats | US supreme court | The Guardian
Senator Ed Markey, and representatives Jerrold Nadler, Hank Johnson and Mondaire Jones plan to present their legislation Thursday at a news conference. The measure would expand the number of justices from nine to 13, according to Reuters, which reviewed a copy of the bill in advance of it being released publicly. Although Joe Biden announced a commission to study supreme court expansion and reform, the politically incendiary question of changing the court is unlikely to be approved.

Liam Gallagher Hilariously Mixed Up Greta Van Fleet And Greta Thunberg
A few days ago, somebody tweeted at the former Oasis member, asking, “Are you excited for Greta Van Fleet’s new album to come out on Friday?” He responded, “She’s amazing I love her work esp for climate change.”

Former Buffalo police officer Cariol Horne will receive pension after winning lawsuit - CBS News
A former Buffalo Police officer who said she was fired for intervening when a White officer attempted to choke a Black suspect will receive her pension after winning a lawsuit on Tuesday. The New York State Supreme Court vacated a previous ruling upholding the firing of Cariol Horne, CBS Buffalo affiliate WIVB-TV reports.

Wisconsin teachers resign after investigation into slavery lesson
Three Wisconsin middle school teachers have resigned after they put together a lesson for sixth-graders asking them how they would punish slaves.

Company to hire 150 associates in Kalispell | KECI
“With 150 openings, we are thrilled to host four virtual job fairs for candidates interested in learning more details about the role,” Amy Quinn, recruiter in Kalispell for Customer Service Positions, said in a press release. “TTEC embraces diversity and is committed to an inclusive workforce that respects and empowers the culture and perspectives of its global team members. We look forward to expanding our operations in Kalispell and contributing to the economic development in the region.”