The Rock Chalkboard

Former KU basketball players standing out in NBA Summer League
The NBA Summer League is a place young stars can shine. Take former KU basketball standout and No. 1-overall pick Andrew Wiggins for example. Wiggins notched 15.5 points per game in his 2014 Summer League campaign.

Jeremy Case officially named KU basketball assistant coach
“After serving in an interim role, I’m ready to continue building long-term and sustained success within the KU basketball program,” Case said in a KU basketball release. “I couldn’t be more appreciative of the opportunity. I will do everything in my power to make coach Self, all my former teammates and all of KU alumni proud by ensuring I take care of the rich history and tradition of the program while in this position.”

Five-star Ernest Udeh Jr. breaks down his top 10
“Throughout this whole process the biggest thing for my family and coaches was whether I was going to sign early or late,” said Udeh. “I just came to a conclusion that I’m not going to approach this with a deadline. I’m going to take my time, see what other people do, see what goes on and just take my time.

'Real explosive' Trevor Wilson could see field for Kansas as WR, returner
“As far as athleticism, he’s real explosive,” said Jake Schoonover, Kansas' special teams coordinator. “He’s just got a knack for finding ways to make plays. And then for me I’m always looking for a core group of guys that can help be leaders on special teams in particular, guys that are going to buy in and emphasize the importance and echo the importance to the rest of the guys. Trevor, ... you can tell he has that ability to do that, to echo that emphasis, and I can count on him for that. He’s been a really good addition.”

Countdown to KU football (18): Don't forget about Velton Gardner
If you're a die-hard Kansas football fan you're excited about Devin Neal, and you should be. He's the highest-ranked (Top247) prospect in program history. He has the physical stature of a college junior despite being a first-semester freshman. He's mature and poised and has a terrific personality.

Bits o Chalk

Sources - Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers finalizing 4-year, $196 million supermax extension through 2026-27
The extension keeps Embiid under contract with the Sixers through the 2026-27 season for a total of $261 million. The four-time All-Star already was set to make $65 million over the final two years of his current deal.

Woman testifies against Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer on first day of restraining order hearing
LOS ANGELES -- As she sat on the witness stand, the woman accusing Trevor Bauer of domestic violence and sexual assault pulled her hair around her neck to show a judge how she alleges the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher strangled her unconscious.

USWNT's Megan Rapinoe 'needs to take some time' to think about future
"Just in terms of my whole career, I don't really know yet. I need to take some time to think about it," Rapinoe said on ESPN's Spain and Fitz show when asked whether she would be following Lloyd into retirement.

Sources - Marcus Smart agrees to 4-year, $77 million extension with Boston Celtics
The extension -- which begins with the 2022-23 season -- is the maximum allowable off Smart's $14.3 million salary for 2021-22. The deal does not include a player option.

Woman testifies against Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer on first day of restraining order hearing
LOS ANGELES -- As she sat on the witness stand, the woman accusing Trevor Bauer of domestic violence and sexual assault pulled her hair around her neck to show a judge how she alleges the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher strangled her unconscious.

Sources - Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers finalizing 4-year, $196 million supermax extension through 2026-27
The extension keeps Embiid under contract with the Sixers through the 2026-27 season for a total of $261 million. The four-time All-Star already was set to make $65 million over the final two years of his current deal.

Alabama football again No. 1 in AP preseason Top 25; Oklahoma Sooners No. 2, Clemson Tigers No. 3
Alabama received 47 of 63 first-place votes from the panel of sports writers and broadcasters in the poll presented by Regions Bank. Oklahoma is No. 2, just ahead of No. 3 Clemson (each received six first-place votes).

Bits o Chalk

Despite obstacles, Native Americans have nation's highest COVID-19 vaccination rate | Daily Inter Lake
Those rates are difficult to determine, because many vaccine recipients do not provide their race or ethnicity when they get shots. But more than 100 million have done so. That data — collected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — suggest that Native Americans are 24% more likely than whites to be fully vaccinated, 31% more likely than Latinos, 64% more likely than African Americans and 11% more likely than Asian Americans.

It's official: Kalispell getting Pioneer League baseball team | Daily Inter Lake
A professional baseball league dating to 1939, the Pioneer League confirmed Monday that an expansion franchise has been granted to the family of Marty Kelly, who runs a commercial construction company.

Noel Gallagher reveals he sometimes FORGETS the lyrics to his iconic songs | Daily Mail Online
'My band will say, "Are they the right lyrics?" And I go, 'I don't think so'. I've played Don't Look Back In Anger a billion times and sometimes I think, 'What is the first line?'.'

Billions spent on Afghan army ultimately benefited Taliban
WASHINGTON (AP) — Built and trained at a two-decade cost of $83 billion, Afghan security forces collapsed so quickly and completely — in some cases without a shot fired — that the ultimate beneficiary of the American investment turned out to be the Taliban. They grabbed not only political power but also U.S.-supplied firepower — guns, ammunition, helicopters and more.

The First-Ever Colorado River Water Shortage Has Been Declared. What Does That Mean For Colorado? | Colorado Public Radio
The shortage was triggered because water levels in Lake Mead on the Nevada-Arizona border, the largest reservoir in the U.S., are projected to drop so low that it can’t meet the water and energy demands of communities in the West.

The Taliban Are Back. Now Will They Restrain or Support Al Qaeda? - The New York Times
But there is little doubt that the Taliban victory is a huge propaganda boost for Islamist terrorism worldwide. Some predict that after 20 years, the Taliban have learned some lessons and are unlikely to repeat their support for groups like Al Qaeda and the Islamic State, knowing the consequences.

Delusional Kansas fan's message board post about Jayhawks potentially joining the SEC is going viral
As you can see below, this post basically says the SEC would be a good backup plan for the Jayhawks if the school doesn’t receive an invitation to the Big Ten:

Flights resume from Kabul airport amid scramble to leave Afghanistan
Evacuation flights resumed from Kabul’s international airport Tuesday after a frenzied and panic-filled day that saw thousands of Afghans swarm the tarmac, including some who fell off departing planes in desperate attempts to get out of Afghanistan.