Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks might pivot to the international route to fill out the team’s remaining scholarships.

Of the three roster spots left, KU is prioritizing a backup big man, and a potential option is French 7-footer Brice Dessert.

According to 247 Sports reporter Michael Swain, Kansas is ‘heavily involved’ in the recruitment of Dessert.

Speculation around Dessert potentially joining KU is gaining traction, with both Swain and Shreyas Laddha of The Kansas City Star recently naming him as a possible target.

After playing with SIG Strasbourg in the LNB Élite this past season, Dessert is reportedly looking to explore the college route.

In 29 games in the 2024-25 season, Dessert averaged 9.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks across 18.3 minutes per contest.

Standing at 7-foot, 245 pounds, Dessert is a physical big man with incredible length. His wingspan measured an eye-popping 7-foot-4 at the Adidas EuroCamp in Treviso.

During the event, he participated in three camp games, averaging 8.0 points and 7.0 rebounds.

While the Frenchman’s age (22) gives him a seasoned edge for a college player, how his eligibility would be determined is still uncertain.

Flory Bidunga is the projected starting center for the Jayhawks, though redshirt freshman Bryson Tiller is the only piece of depth in KU’s frontcourt. Dessert and Bidunga could form into a dominant one-two punch.

If he joins the roster, Dessert could play a valuable role off the bench or even share the floor with Bidunga in bigger lineups.

The Jayhawks have also been linked to other big-man options like Patrick Suemnick, but Dessert is undoubtedly a more intriguing and high-upside target.

Rose is back

From her ankle boo-boo

The rain fell down

And Gotham did, too.

The return of star midfielder Rose Lavelle, meant to spark Gotham during a patchy run of league form, instead provided just a silver lining on a gray and rainy Saturday afternoon during a 2-1 home loss to the Kansas City Current.

It was the first appearance for Lavelle — the fan favorite who had been sidelined from Gotham (3W-3D-5L) and the U.S. women’s national team following offseason ankle surgery — since Nov. 16.

“All the hard work she’s put in with the medical team, the high-performance team, the coaches, has been amazing, but especially her,” Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós said this week. “We can see her finally with her teammates, where she belongs, doing what she loves — which is playing for her team, for Gotham in front of our fans.”

The cheers for Lavelle started in the 31st minute when she rose from the substitutes’ bench to begin warming up beyond the goal line.

At halftime, she shared a hug with Liberty counterpart Breanna Stewart, who joined the crowd at what’s now known as Sports Illustrated Stadium for the team’s annual Pride match.

Lavelle entered in the 74th minute to a sustained round of applause, and wasted little time getting on the ball and showcasing her trademark saucy dribbling. Minutes later, she sent a left-footed shot just wide of the top corner.

She also applied the pressure that led to a Current own goal deep into stoppage time.

The day of mixed emotions ended with the ceremonial presentation of the CONCACAF W Champions Cup, the regional club title Gotham won last month, further underscoring where the team is caught at the moment.

There’s another trophy to be proud of and show off, affirming the club’s ambitions to be relevant on an international level.

At the same time, there’s the reality of the standings: Last year’s NWSL semifinalists finished the afternoon in ninth place, outside of playoff position, and faced the prospect of sinking as low as 12th (out of 14) by the end of the weekend.

They are winless in their past four NWSL matches (0-1-3), a stretch dating back six weeks to an April 26 victory over the Washington Spirit.

They have scored just 13 goals in 11 games, despite a wealth of attacking options, and have a goal differential of plus-1.

Kansas City (9-0-2) is the best team in the league and quickly showed why.

Gotham conceded in the third minute off a giveaway by Emily Sonnett, allowing Temwa Chawinga to spring Michelle Cooper for a quick strike. The visitors doubled their lead in the 11th minute on a blink-of-an-eye move up the right side, this time Chawinga converting off a cross from Cooper.

Gotham twice appeared to have pulled one back in the second half, only for both goals to be disallowed. In the 49th minute, Sonnett headed in Sarah Schupansky’s corner kick, but Sonnett was whistled for a foul on the set piece.

In the 63rd minute, Esther González was judged to be offside after collecting a loose ball in the box and slotting home what would have been her league-leading eighth goal of the season.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A man connected to a shootout that injured two people following a high school basketball game at North Kansas City High School on March 2, 2024, was sentenced to 18 years in prison Friday.

Michael Smallwood pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree assault, one count of unlawful use of a weapon and one count of fourth-degree assault back in March.

Smallwood will serve six years for the first count of second-degree assault, seven years for the second count of second-degree assault, four years on the unlawful use of a weapon charge and one year on the charge of fourth-degree assault.

The sentences are set to be served consecutively.

While the prosecutors said they plan to ask the judge for a 19-year prison sentence for Smallwood in the plea agreement entered in March, the agreement allowed Smallwood and his attorneys to argue for a lesser sentence.

“I was fired at and I shot back, understanding that it was reckless for me to do that in a crowd of people,” Michael Smallwood wrote in the plea agreement.

Michael and his younger brother, Lavon’Dre Smallwood, were both originally charged with armed criminal action and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon in connection with the shootout.

Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson said the shooting started after a dispute between two groups of young men who were leaving a Missouri Class 6, District 8 basketball game between Staley and North Kansas City.

KSHB 41 I-Team’s Caitlin Knute obtained surveillance video of the shootout. You can watch her report below.

KSHB 41 I-Team obtains video showing shooting outside North Kansas City High School

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