The Rock Chalkboard

Where KU basketball targets sit in updated 2022 247Sports rankings
Starting with the most relevant name, Gradey Dick, KU's lone commitment in the 2022 class, jumped from No. 39 in the 247Sports staff rankings to No. 35. That corresponds with a gradual increase in his 247Sports Composite listing, which now has him up at No. 24.

2022 Rankings Roundtable: Can Emoni Bates take back the No. 1 spot?
Now that the updated 2022 247Sports rankings are live, we pull back the curtains to take a look at the process. What can Emoni Bates do in order to reclaim his spot as the No. 1 player in the class? Which players would certain analysts have been in favor of moving even higher? Which collegiate fan base should be happy about the direction of their program's recruiting in the class of 2022? Analysts Eric Bossi, Travis Branham, Brandon Jenkins, and Dushawn London have a roundtable discussion.

TCU basketball penalized by NCAA for violations by former assistant linked to FBI probe
As part of the decision, the TCU men's basketball program received three years of probation, and a $5,000 fine plus 1% of the men’s basketball program budget was self-imposed by the university. Additionally, Barker received a five-year show-cause order for the former assistant coach in which any NCAA member school employing him during the said period must "restrict him from any athletically related duties unless it shows cause why the restrictions should not apply."

Jalen Duren passes Emoni Bates for the No. 1 spot in 247Sports updated 2022 rankings
After a winter, spring and early summer filled with traveling across the country to watch the nation’s top players compete, the 247Sports rankings for the class of 2022 have been updated and they are full of change.

Bits o Chalk

NCAA name, image and likeness FAQ - What the rule changes mean for the athletes, schools and more
The doors to a new era of college sports officially opened Thursday. For the first time, all NCAA athletes are now able to make money from a wide variety of business ventures without losing their eligibility.

Tour de France drops lawsuit against fan who caused peloton crash
The spectator, a 30-year-old French woman, was in custody at a police station in Landerneau, Brittany, the northwest French region where the world's biggest cycling event held its first four stages.

After LA Clippers are eliminated, Paul George says team would 'be going on' if Kawhi Leonard was healthy for Western Conference finals
"We'd be going on," George said when asked what would have happened had Leonard played in the conference finals. "This series would be a lot different. Talk about one of the best players in the league being out, yet we were inches away from getting to the next round.

Phoenix Suns finish off LA Clippers in 6, advance to first NBA Finals since 1993
"I just kept thinking, if we do what we're supposed to do, I get the last laugh," Paul said afterward. "So you stay the course long enough, you break 'em, and that's what we did."

Eraser Dust

Illegal Fireworks Explode In Los Angeles Bomb Squad Truck, Hurting 17 : NPR
A stockpile of illegal fireworks detonated following attempts by the Los Angeles Police Department's bomb squad to destroy the explosives. The force of the blast destroyed the department's armored truck, injured 17 people and required the evacuation of nearby homes.

Bill Cosby released from prison after Pa. Supreme Court overturns sexual assault conviction
Instead, it based its decision on a question that had bedeviled the case from the start: whether a prior prosecutor’s decade-old promise that Cosby would never be charged with drugging and assaulting accuser Andrea Constand prohibited the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office from lodging the case that ultimately led to his conviction.

Symphony Night combines picnics and music on July 9-10 | Whitefish Pilot
Attendees can bring a blanket to spread out on the grass or reserve a picnic table. While folks can bring their own food and drink, several food trucks will also be at the event, including Glacier Gourmet, Norms News, NW Island Noodles, Wagyu Wagon, Bias Brewing, and SunRift Beer Company.

Howard Stern angers fans with summer off after $500M Sirius XM deal
Radio jock Howard Stern has finally managed to shock his fans — by taking the entire summer off after signing a new deal with Sirius XM said to be worth $500 million.

A Cry for (Housing) Help - Flathead Beacon
Affordable or not, finding housing was already an issue in Flathead County before the pandemic with an extremely low 1.2% vacancy rate. But now, the absence of affordable housing is more broadly rippling through the community as grocery shelves go unstocked, restaurants operate at reduced hours and bakeries can’t open because workers have nowhere to live. And while locals might connect that businesses are struggling because workers can’t find housing, tourists likely won’t.

Poll: The real reason Republicans are so riled up about 'Critical Race Theory'
According to the poll, the right largely believes that racism is personal — the product of one individual discriminating against another. The rest of the country mostly agrees that racism is systemic — a force that continues to harm people of color, regardless of how isolated individuals treat them.