Morning report 2024-07-14

How many days until LATE NIGHT in The PHOG! ?
and other dates of interest...
All times shown are Central Time .
RECRUITING CALENDAR DATES for D1 MEN'S BASKETBALL
Today is the last day of the first of three 3-4 day Evaluation periods in the otherwise dead period month of July. As a refresher, authorized athletics department staff members can be be involved in "off-campus activities designed to assess the academic qualifications and playing ability of prospective student-athletes. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts shall be made with the prospective student-athlete during an evaluation period."* The next full "Recruiting" Period, where both on & off campus in-person contacts are allowed, begins SEP 4.

2024-07-01 thru 07-31: dead period, except as noted below†
..2024-07-11 thru 07-14: evaluation period†
..2024-07-19 thru 07-21: evaluation period†
..2024-07-23 thru 07-25: evaluation period†
2024-08-01 thru 09-03: quiet period, except as noted below‡
..2024-08-06 thru 08-20: dead period‡
2024-09-04 thru 2025-04-30: recruiting period, except as noted below‡
..2024-11-04 thru 11-07: dead period‡
..2024-12-24 thru 12-26: dead period‡
..2025-04-03 thru 04-10: dead period‡
*Recruiting Calendars linked below contain detailed info and explanation of recruiting periods.
† NCAA.org: 2023-24 NCAA RECRUITING CALENDAR Division I Men’s Basketball
‡ NCAA.org: 2024-25 NCAA RECRUITING CALENDAR Division I Men’s Basketball

KU ATHLETICS

✦ KU MEN'S HOOPS -
• KU gets lots of love from Dickie V.
ESPN.com - Vitale: Dick Vitale's early men's Sweet 16 teams for 2024-25
Lots of love back at Dick (85) and to Heart lead singer Ann Wilson (74), both recovering from recent successful cancer surgery (Vitale's 4th bout with The Bitch).
And hope and strength to all those and their families fighting the scourge.

• KUSports.com - Greenstein: McCullar will not play in Summer League due to injury rehab, per reports
Get well, KMc, get well!

✦ KUFB -
• kansas.rivals.com-JayhawkSlant - Sam Winton: Lance Leipold on expectations, new portal additions, games in KC

• Earlier this morning Jon Kirby reported that HS recruiting for the 2025 class is winding down and things are pretty quiet. He does note hearing that a couple recruits who committed elsewhere have reached out to the KU staff over the last couple weeks, but nothing concrete is know to him. He will release more info when and if things progress.

✦ KU Athletics - OTHER
• KUSports.com - Greenstein: 3-day MLB Draft opens Sunday; several KU players could be selected
"Like any college program this time of year, KU is subject to plenty of uncertainty about which players with remaining eligibility could choose to turn pro. Whatever happens, though, head coach Dan Fitzgerald has said the team will still be in good shape even if it gets “decimated” by the draft — and since he made that declaration on his “Hawk Talk” radio show in late June, the Jayhawks have continued to load up with transfer talent for next year, like former Youngstown State catcher Ian Francis and East Tennessee State outfielder Tommy Barth." ...
"KU has not had a current player selected in the MLB Draft since Jaxx Groshans and Ryan Zeferjahn went to the Boston Red Sox in 2019. Four players, including Collin Baumgartner and Cole Elvis last year, have signed contracts as undrafted free agents since then."

✦ ELSEWHERE -
• ESPN.com - Dan Graziano: Judging overreactions to 2024 NFL offseason: signings, draft

✦ LFK weather forecast
Today: breezy this morning, with an early thunderstorm (been and gone as I write this), decreasing clouds and hot, hot, HOT!, high 98°F (36.7°C), (P)recipitation 40% (100% this morning, drops to 0% by 2 PM)
Tonight: clear to partly cloudy, lo 76°F (24.4°C), (P)recipitation 0%

That is all for now.

Hope you have a GREAT day and a GREAT weekend!

ROCK CHALK!

✦ Thought for the Day
"History is a vast early warning system."
- Norman Cousins