The Rock Chalkboard

Player Ratings to the Theme of Forts - Blue Wings Rising
After a dominating performance in Fort Worth, I figured I’d rate various forts. And by the way, if KU plays like this, Fort Worth will make the list next time.

Creighton players, coach break down matchup with KU and keys to slowing Jayhawks
O'Connell started his career at Duke. As a freshman in 2017-18, the guard played against KU’s Final Four team in the Elite 8. He took the floor for two minutes in a game KU won. In 2019-20, O'Connell was still with Duke and played 25 minutes off the bench in a Duke win. Of course, current Jayhawks like David McCormack, Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun were contributors in that game. Jalen Wilson was on the team, but only played a handful of minutes.

The impact a 'crazy day' in the NCAA Tournament had on KU's chances to make a deep run in March
KU had to sit and wait all day during one of the more upset-filled days in the NCAA Tournament in recent memory. Of the 13 games that were played on Thursday that didn’t involve a No. 1 seed, six involved a lower seed winning. That included notable upsets like No. 2 Kentucky’s loss to No. 15 Saint Peter’s, No. 5 Iowa’s loss to No. 12 Richmond and No. 5 UCONN’s loss to No. 12 New Mexico State. Not to mention KU’s game was delayed about 40 minutes due to the previous game going into overtime. So KU had plenty of time to ruminate on the day’s action. The game tipped off shortly after 9:40 p.m. CT.

Tipoff time, TV info announced for Kansas vs. Creighton
FORT WORTH, Tex. — No. 1 seed Kansas will look to punch its ticket to the Sweet 16 on Saturday with a game against No. 9 Creigthon. KU advanced in the NCAA Tournament with a dominant win over Texas Southern on Thursday night. Creighton, on the other hand, trailed for most of the game but battled back from a double-digit deficit to force overtime against San Diego State. In the extra frame, the Bluejays were able to outlast the Aztecs, 72-69.

Bits o Chalk

Reseeding the 2022 men's March Madness round of 32
Not much you can glean from that, with KU doing what was expected. But Remy Martin (15 points, four assists) putting together one of his best efforts of the year was a promising development for a team that could use some additional depth while still waiting for Mitch Lightfoot (who played just seven minutes on Thursday) to fully recover from the left knee sprain he suffered in the Big 12 tournament. Martin might be blossoming at the perfect time.

John Clayton, longtime NFL reporter and radio host, dies at 67
John Clayton, whose list of contacts in the NFL was matched only by his attention to detail and dedication to his craft, died Friday in Washington after a brief illness, his family said.

He was 67.

Michigan State's Tom Izzo eager for final showdown with Duke's Mike Krzyzewski
"I didn't want to look ahead and dream of the matchup, because you get a chance, one more time, to play against maybe the all-time great, as they say about LeBron [James] or they say about Michael [Jordan]," Izzo said after the Spartans' win. "In the coaching world, the GOAT is the team we'll play, and it's been earned. It's not been given. It's been earned.

Eraser Dust

Russia-Ukraine war: What to know about the conflict
Russian President Vladimir Putin praised his country’s troops at a huge flag-waving rally in Moscow as Russian forces strike Ukrainian cities from a distance again, pounding the capital of Kyiv and the country’s west.

Daylight Saving Time Is Bad for Teenagers - The Atlantic
Shifting our clocks every March so that many of us have to wake up before sunrise takes a toll. We can move the hands on a clock, but we can’t fool the body. The shift raises stress levels and inflammation, shortens our sleep, and increases depression. In the week after daylight saving time begins, the incidence of heart attacks and strokes goes up significantly. A recent study found a 6 percent rise in fatal car crashes in that same period.

Does the Ukrainian refugee response expose a European double standard? Experts weigh in.
The reception of Ukrainian refugees by European countries has been vastly different from previous refugee crises where European countries were largely resistant to being a safe haven for those escaping persecution, including the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis, where since 2015 more than 1 million Syrians have sought refuge in Europe with little to no support.

Blacktail Mountain Ski Area joins Powder Alliance
Season passholders will receive three free days — Sunday through Friday — at resorts in Idaho, Washington, California, Canada and more. Spanning three countries and two hemispheres. The price of season passes has not increased compared to last year.

iPhone owners say iOS 15.4 is causing serious battery drain
This week, Apple rolled out iOS 15.4. If you have a supported device, you can download the new software update right now. The update is packed with great new features, including the ability to unlock an iPhone with Face ID while wearing a mask. But as with any new software, some users are running into issues after updating. Ever since iOS 15.4 launched on Monday, iPhone owners have been taking to Twitter to complain about battery drain.

Michigan State's Tom Izzo eager for final showdown with Duke's Mike Krzyzewski
"I didn't want to look ahead and dream of the matchup, because you get a chance, one more time, to play against maybe the all-time great, as they say about LeBron [James] or they say about Michael [Jordan]," Izzo said after the Spartans' win. "In the coaching world, the GOAT is the team we'll play, and it's been earned. It's not been given. It's been earned.

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