The Rock Chalkboard

Jalen Wilson showed 'no fear' in becoming KU's unlikely hero
Nary a word was spoken — err, shouted — on the court at Bankers Life Fieldhouse without it echoing throughout the empty arena. The I Am Legend-type environment made the crowd — attendance of around two-dozen media members and other team and stadium personnel in a building that seats 20,000 — well aware of how each individual on the court felt at just about any moment on Tuesday.

KU basketball vs. Kentucky: Who stood out and who didn't...
Wilson took over in the second half. He had a five- or six-minute stretch with six points and seven rebounds in the period. Later, he drilled back-to-back 3s to tie the game and then had another score to tie things up again.

Bill Self: Dajuan Harris 'great' in helping KU past Kentucky
This season, Harris is one of the anchors for a team in need of playmakers. In the No. 7 Jayhawks’ 65-62 win over No. 20 Kentucky on Tuesday, Harris showed that he can make an impact without scoring the ball — just as he did in the team’s win over Saint Joseph’s.

Three takeaways: Reviewing KU basketball's win vs. Kentucky
There were a few moments in the game where KU had a player step up when the offense needed a bucket. Two of those moments came from the Jayhawks’ leading-scorer, Jalen Wilson.

Bill Self explains Marcus Garrett's health situation from KU-UK
If you were following things on Twitter — particularly in the hours leading up to KU basketball's 65-62 win over Kentucky — your Tuesday evening might have been a little more stressful than expected, at least if you're a KU fan. If you flipped on the game at its normal start time, you might not have even known what had happened.

Media reacts to Kansas-Kentucky 'rock fight'
Talking after Kansas' 65-62 win over Kentucky, Wildcat coach John Calipari said that if he were Self, he would be ecstatic. Notably, that Kansas was able to shoot as poorly as it did — under 30% from the field, under 24% from 3 — and found a way to win.

Quick recap & instant analysis: KU basketball vs. Kentucky
After a 1-1 start to the season, the No. 7-ranked KU men's basketball team traveled to Indianapolis for the Champions Classic. Awaiting the Jayhawks? The No. 20-ranked Kentucky Wildcats.

Offensive tackle De'Kedrick Sterns decommits from Kansas
Kansas lost a key commitment Tuesday, when three-star offensive tackle De'Kedrick Sterns announced that he has re-opened his recruitment. The Del Valle (Texas) High School standout originally pledged in late April to the Jayhawks.

Bits o Chalk

'I don't wish either of them well' -- The demise of the Southwest Conference, 25 years later
"There had been some consternation about how the league broke up," said Mike Pede, who was Rice's athletics marketing director at the time. Texas and Texas A&M were off to greener pastures of the newly-formed Big 12, and Rice and Houston were left twisting in the wind. "Everybody was looking out for themselves."

Calm and confident, LeBron James says Los Angeles Lakers can 'absolutely' repeat in 2021
"We can [repeat]. I mean, it's that simple," James said on an episode of the podcast "Road Trippin'," hosted by Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye and Allie Clifton, that aired Tuesday on Spectrum SportsNet. "We absolutely can. ... First of all, it all starts with health. You have to have some luck. You have to have health. If we can stay healthy."

Center Joakim Noah to be waived by LA Clippers, likely ending his career, agent says
"What an illustrious career for Joakim, starting with two national titles at the University of Florida, to becoming an NBA Defensive Player of the Year and ultimately evolving into one of the most passionate, spirited players to ever come through our sport," Duffy told ESPN on Tuesday night. "It's been my honor to represent Joakim through his journey."

Tom Izzo, Michigan State get first win at Cameron Indoor against Duke - 'I'm not gonna put this as an asterisk'
"We came down here to win a game," said Izzo, who had been 0-3 at Cameron. "I think I've done a poor job over the years. I either get too hyped for the game or give them too much credit. I thought we were a good team that could beat them. I thought they had a good team, but I thought our defense and our depth -- and it turned out that way."

Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson, Ohio State again lead CFP rankings as top 7 teams remain unchanged
The top seven teams in the College Football Playoff rankings remained unchanged Tuesday, as Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson and Ohio State continue to occupy the top four spots.

Sources - Dallas Mavericks-Los Angeles Lakers to highlight Christmas Day slate
In addition to Doncic playing for the first time on Christmas against LeBron James and the defending champs in Los Angeles (8 p.m. ET), Zion Williamson is slated to make his Christmas debut when the New Orleans Pelicans kick off the star-powered holiday games with a visit to Miami to play the reigning Eastern Conference champion Heat (noon ET). The Pelicans played on Christmas last year, but an injured Williamson missed that contest against Denver.

Eraser Dust

Barr rules out voter fraud as court paper alleges White House bribery | First Thing | US news | The Guardian
The attorney general said there was no evidence of voter fraud that would overturn the election result, while the justice department has started investigating claims of ‘bribery for pardons’ at the White House

Section 230: Trump Vows To Veto Defense Bill : NPR
The veto threat is the latest move by the president in his war against social media giants such as Facebook and Twitter. He and other conservatives believe tech companies are biased against conservative political views — censoring posts they don't like. However, the social media platforms say they are only trying to stop the spread of false claims and disinformation.

Cher helps Kaavan the lonely elephant find a new life, and maybe even love, after a grim 35 years - CBS News
Pop music icon Cher was in Pakistan over the weekend to join a lonely elephant on his long-awaited journey to salvation. Kaavan, dubbed the world's loneliest elephant, finally escaped the meager confines of a zoo in Islamabad and was well on his way to a wildlife sanctuary in Cambodia on Monday.

City and nonprofits apply for grant for trail signs, underpass art project
The City of Whitefish, along with two nonprofits, is applying for a tourism grant that would help fund updates to existing downtown wayfinding signs regarding bike and pedestrian paths and an art installation for the Baker Avenue pedestrian underpass.

UK Approves Pfizer Coronavirus Vaccine
The United Kingdom will begin vaccinating members of the public against the coronavirus next week — a major milestone in the worldwide race to combat a pandemic that has killed 1.5 million people.

HBO’s unsettling docuseries Baby God debuts
Baby God (HBO, 9 p.m., premiere): “A sobering tale of medical hubris and the doctor/father/God complex of patriarchal medicine, Baby God tells the story of Dr. Quincy Fortier, who impregnated hundreds of women without their knowledge or consent over several decades as a fertility specialist in Las Vegas. Women would come to him for help getting pregnant, and would get results—but until the advent of DNA testing, what no one knew was that Fortier was inseminating these women with his own sperm. It’s a shocking violation, and an extremely intimate one: How can you put what’s essentially an act of sexual abuse behind you, when your abuser’s DNA is forever commingled with yours?” Read the rest of Katie Rife’s review of Baby God and four other recent HBO true crime documentaries.