The Rock Chalkboard

NCAA Tournament West Region analysis: Kansas, UCLA, Gonzaga and more - The Athletic
No one in men’s college basketball has won back-to-back national titles since the Joakim Noah-led Florida Gators did so in 2006 and 2007. But here comes the Kansas Jayhawks to try to do just that — Bill Self’s group looks a lot different than the one that cut down the nets in New Orleans last April, but it’s earned a No. 1 seed and ready to go this March.

Jayhawks excited to have their Hall of Fame head coach back for the NCAA Tournament
In a joint release from KU and the University of Kansas Health System, Self “underwent a standard heart catheterization and had two stents placed for the treatment of blocked arteries.” He was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday night and stayed through Sunday. He did not coach KU during the Big 12 Tournament and Roberts served as the acting head coach. The release also stated that Self “responded well to the procedure” and is expected to make a full recovery.

2023 NCAA Tournament schedule: March Madness bracket, dates, locations, tip times, TV channels
March Madness has officially arrived. The 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament bracket is locked in as the full 68-team field was revealed Sunday during the NCAA Basketball Championship Selection Show on CBS.

'I'm shocked': KU players, Norm Roberts react to NCAA Tournament seeding
It was revealed on Sunday that KU basketball was selected as one of the four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks were placed in the West Region where Sweet 16 and Elite Eight matchups will be held in Las Vegas. KU will face No. 16 seed Howard in its first-round matchup and would either face Arkansas or Illinois in the second round, assuming the Jayhawks win their first-round matchup.

Eraser Dust

Bills Aim to Repair Montana’s Housing Woes - Flathead Beacon
As the Montana Legislature moves into the second half of its session, a number of housing-related bills are poised to change statewide zoning and construction regulations in hopes of abating the state’s pervasive housing crisis. Current bill drafts, many of which have seen large bipartisan support, aim to ease housing strains by lowering barriers to the construction of affordable homes across Montana. Democratic and Republican legislators, as well as a host of housing-related nonprofit organizations, have partnered up in support of bills related to zoning ordinances, rental agreements and construction.

Man Sues Buffalo Wild Wings Over ‘Boneless’ Wings - The New York Times
The plaintiff claims the wing chain is falsely advertising its boneless wing products, which he says are more like chicken nuggets.

Joe Biden to unveil executive order to crackdown on law breaking gun sellers | Joe Biden | The Guardian
He will ask Garland to clarify the statutory definition of who is “engaged in the business” of dealing in firearms, the official said. “Number one, to make it clear that those who are wilfully violating the law need to come into compliance with the law and, number two, to make it clear to people who may not realise that, under that statutory definition they are indeed in the business of selling firearms, they must become federally licensed firearm dealers and they must run background checks before gun sales.”

Oscars 2023: 'A slap in the face for Hollywood' - BBC Culture
At the end of the Oscars, the ceremony's host, Jimmy Kimmel, strode into the wings and flipped a number one on to a board that read: "Number of Oscar Telecasts Without Incident". It was only natural that Kimmel should make so many jokes about last year's Incident, but even if you had somehow forgotten about Will Smith slapping and swearing at Chris Rock, that closing gag would have made sense. In recent years, the Oscars have often been debacles, whether that was because of the envelope mix-up in 2017 or the socially distanced gloom in 2021, but this time the event was slick and competent enough to convince you that the producers and directors actually knew what they were doing.

Fearing indictment, Trump changes his story in hush money mess
As the prospect of an indictment grows, the Manhattan district attorney’s office invited Donald Trump to testify this week before a grand jury. Not surprisingly, the former president and his attorneys have declined the offer. NBC News reported:

Trump lashes out at DeSantis, says he regrets his endorsement of him - POLITICO
“He was dead as a dog, he was a dead politician. He would have been working perhaps for a law firm or doing something else,” Trump told a small group of reporters aboard his plane on Monday afternoon en route to Iowa, where he was to make an appearance that evening.

Questions about Biden's approval of Arctic drilling of Willow? We've got answers. - Alaska Public Media
The Biden administration announced Monday morning that it is approving a permit for Willow. That’s the $8 billion ConocoPhillips project in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, the largest oil development in Alaska since the 1990s. And Sunday night, ahead of the Willow announcement, the administration said it would impose new restrictions on drilling in the NPR-A.

Brain Teaser of the Day

What do the words polish, job and herb have in common?