Oklahoma City looked in really good shape heading into Saturday Night’s game six in OKC with a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference finals series with Golden State. Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and the Thunder looked like they were heading to Cleveland this Thursday Night for game one of the Finals to face LeBron, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and the Cavs, who pretty much wasted the Toronto Raptors at the end of their Eastern Conference finals. But something happened along the way in game six that changed the entire Cleveland-OKC matchup. That something was the not as heralded Splash Brother for the Dubs, Klay Thompson. Thompson was draining threes from the state capital building in downtown OKC, finishing with a playoffs’ record 11 trifectas and 41 points to lead him, Steph Curry and the Warriors to an almost improbable comeback victory over the Thunder, 108-101, and a game seven matchup with the Thunder at Oracle Arena in Oakland tonight. Klay was spectacular to say the least, and Steph was pretty special in the fourth quarter as well, finishing with 31 points.

Tonight at 9 PM ET/8 PM CT/ 6 PM PT on TNT, the Warriors, a 6.5 point favorite as the line has dropped from 7 just recently,  will square off with a still highly focused Thunder team. Billy Donovan is not going to let his team dwell on Saturday Night. He’ll have his team ready and they will give the Warriors everything they want. Some interesting stats: the home team in game 7’s are 100-24, the road team is 12-24. OKC is 6-3 in game sevens in their history, but 0-2 on the road.

I picked the Warriors over the Spurs in 7 in the Western Conference finals before the playoffs started and for the Warriors to hoist the Lawrence O’Brien Trophy for the second year in a row beating the Cavs in 5. Not positive they’ll get it done that quickly over the Cavs, but I’m looking for a tremendous game tonight with Steph, Klay, and company just getting it done at home and hosting the Cavs in games one and two of the finals at Oracle beginning Thursday Night.

Warriors 105, Thunder 103

Jordan Spieth goes ballistic at Colonial

Jordan Spieth is most definitely back. He put on a clinic yesterday at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth at the Dean and Deluca Invitational, shooting a final round 66 and birdieing six holes on the back 9 including three in a row on 10, 11 and 12, and, in dramatic fashion, 16, 17 and 18. Jordan was locked in with his putter. It was the Jordan Spieth form of 2015. He became the second player to win eight tournaments at the age of 22, breaking a tie with Tiger who won seven. Horton Smith won 14 times at age 22 . Can’t say I remember Ol’ Horton. Way before my time, and I don’t believe he faced the competition that Jordan has been facing the last four years. 

Jordan birdied 16 with a 20 foot curling left to right putt that dropped in from the left side of the cup. Number 17 was as dramatic a hole for him as he can remember. It was dramatic for any golf fan. Jordan’s  drive on the par 4 was left, but hit a marshall in the lower leg and caromed into the first cut of the rough in fine shape. Jordan, in his typical classy fashion, gave the marshall a signed glove. His second shot, a seven iron, air mailed the green, but hit the temporary grandstand and kicked back into the rough behind the green. His chip from 15 yards away landed on the green and rolled into the cup for an amazing birdie. The crowd roared for their hometown hero, who was born and raised in Dallas. For good measure, Jordan birdied 18 from 30 feet to finish -17 and win by three shots over Harris English. Jordan heard some noise from the crowd about blowing it at the Masters and he used that as motivation. With the victory, Jordan heads into the Memorial, Jack’s tournament, with tons of momentum. He’ll square off with world number one Jason Day, number three Rory, who is fresh off a huge victory at the Irish Open last week, Rickie, Dustin, Phil, Adam Scott, Bubba, all the studs. Should be an epic at Jack’s place this week. Muirfield Village Golf Clubin Dublin, Ohio will host the world’s best. Will have preview-prediction on Wednesday.

Of course, an even bigger prize for Jordan, Jason, an already three time winner on tour this season including a Players Championship victory, Rory, and this stellar group of players awaits in two and a half weeks, June 16th-19th, at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, PA, just outside of Pittsburgh, as the 116th United States Open commences. Jordan aims to defend his title after winning the 115th Open at Chambers Bay in Washington state last year. It was a controversial venue with a funky course and putt putt greens, but Jordan got the job done for his second major that year outlasting Dustin Johnson, who had a 14 foot putt for eagle on 18 to win it, but three putted to fall to Jordan. This should be a phenomenal Open at one of the most famous courses in the world. Fox and Fox Sports 1 will televise.

The NCAA Golf Championships in progress right now. Fifteen teams playing today in the fourth day of stroke play with the top eight teams advancing to the quarterfinals in match play tomorrow. The quarters and semis are tomorrow and the finals are Wednesday. Golf Channel will televise. Tomorrow’s quarters are at 1:30 PM ET/12:30 PM CT and the semis are at 6 PM ET/5 PM CT tomorrow night with the championship match Wednesday at 6 PM ET/5 PM CT. Texas is leading at +6  Southern Cal is second at +7 and Vanderbilt is third at +8. 

Update: Texas and USC lead at +9 and VU is third at +11. All three teams are playing holes 7-9. Oregon is fourth at +13 and Illinois and LSU are tied for fifth at +17. 

Alabama, Auburn and UAB made the NCAA Championships at Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Oregon, but didn’t make the top 15. Former Alabama chief assistant coach Scott Limbaugh has his Vanderbilt Commodores team playing phenomenal golf. Limbaugh has done a stellar job at Vanderbilt. A lot of golf left today.. Former Spain Park High School player Patrick Martin, a freshman at VU and a sensational one at that, is playing No.2 for Vanderbilt. LSU is fifth at +15. It’s pretty windy in Eugene, so the teams and players are really grinding this one out. Aaron Wise of Oregon leads the individual competition at -8. through 9. Matthias Schwab of Vanderbilt and Bo Hossler of Texas are second at -4 through five holes. The individual champion will be crowned today and it can be seen on the Golf Channel.

Alabama baseball coach Mitch Gaspard has resigned. Mitch is a nice guy, but just couldn’t get the Tide over the hump in baseball. It was time. A new coach could really invigorate the program. There is no reason Alabama can’t be a national contender. The Tide has done it before, and, with a good coach, can do it again.

Clayton Kershaw is electric

Dodgers ace, and I’d say the best pitcher in baseball, Clayton Kershaw, recorded 10 strikeouts against no walks in the Dodgers 4-2 victory over the Mets last night. The significance of that is Kershaw now has 105 strikeouts against five walks this season, an incredible 21:5 strikeout to walk ratio. He’s on pace to strike out 300 for the second year in row. With the arms in the major leagues now in Jake Arrieta of the Cubs, Chris Sale of the White Sox, Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg of the Nationals, David Price of the BoSox and Madison Bumgarner of the Giants, the game has never been better. And teams are hitting. The Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles are all crushing it, and the teams in teams in the NL led by the awesome Cubs and the Pirates are also crushing it. The Cubs, at 34-14, look like the class of the NL right now, and can crush the ball, but the Giants, Mets, Dodgers, Nationals and Pirates are going to have a lot to say about the NL pennant. The Mariners, BoSox, KC Royals and Baltimore Orioles look tough in the AL. Plenty to be determined in what is shaping up to be a spectacular season.Not only is their great pitching, but superstars Mike Trout of the Angels, Bryce Harper of the Nationals and entire Cubs starters it seems like are superb baseball players. Epic season in 2016. Picked the Astros over the Dbacks in the World Series and both teams are struggling a little right now, but both have super talent, so of course I’m sticking with that prediction.  

College World Series

My prediction for the teams that’ll reach the College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium  in Omaha in late June are Texas A&M, Florida, Mississippi State, Ole Miss LSU, 2014 champion Vanderbilt, defending champion Virginia, and the awesome Louisville Cardinals. The road begins Friday. Florida is the number one overall seed. There are four SEC teams that are top eight national seeds, as along with Florida, Texas A&M, the SEC champion, Mississippi State and LSU were chosen as top eight national seeds. Vanderbilt, Ole Miss and South Carolina are in the field and are regional hosts. 

Stanley Cup finals prediction

The Stanley Cup commences tonight at 8 PM ET/7PM CT on NBC as the Pittsburgh Penguins host the San Jose Sharks. Both are very impressive.  San Jose is extremely physical, and Pittsburgh faster and a little more skilled. I’m going with the awesome 28 year old center Sidney Crosby, who has 133 point in 118 career playoff games, and the Pens to get the job done in an epic series. Crosby wins the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Stanley Cup playoffs MVP. This will be the Pens fourth Stanley Cup championship with their last coming in 2009. They also won it in ’91 and ’92.  The passionate Pittsburgh sports fans get another title. 

Pens over Sharks in 7

A terrific all around performance by our super team. Won 7-0 over Missouri and defeated a very good pitcher in Tanner Houck. Center fielder Bryan Reynolds with a couple of doubles today, including a two run double in the bottom of the sixth after consecutive singles by Ethan Paul and Jeren Kendall. Julian Infante with a two run shot, his fifth of the year. Freshman Patrick Raby pitched terrifically going six and giving up nothing with two walks and four K’s. That’s really a big deal how well Patrick pitched because Corbs can either use him out of the bullpen or start him this postseason. Collin Snider pitched two excellent innings in the seventh and eighth, and freshman Donny Everett pitched an awesome ninth throwing it 97 at times. Donny has electric stuff. We’re going to love Donny and all our other superstar players next season.

But it’s this season and it’s tomorrow, which are of the ultimate importance right now. Couple of other things on today’s game: Alonzo Jones was spectacular at second base making one amazing play on a ground ball that was headed towards right field and looking like a sure fire single in a critical juncture of the game when it was scoreless around the top of the fourth or fifth. Alonzo sprinted to his left with that 4.3-4.4 speed, amazingly gloved the ball that would have been out of a lot of MLB second basemen’s reach. did a 360, and threw it to Ethan Paul right on target for an out on a fast Missouri runner. It was unbelievable. Then Alonzo made another super play by catching a fly ball in short right, an over the left shoulder phenomenal catch, that our stud second baseman almost made look easy. We’re going to really like Alonzo the rest of this season, which will hopefully go into deep June, and in the next two to three years. We’ve got stellar freshmen. With Alonzo, shortstop Connor Kaiser, Ethan, who’s playing first now and has a tremendous bat and wheels, just a terrific baseball player, Julian who’s a superb hitter and will be a critical player for us among many of our other guys in the postseason, Liam Sabino, an exceptional hitter, pitchers Patrick, Donny and three or four others, along with our stud vets in Bryan, Jeren, Will Toffey, who had two hits today and will be critical for us this month and next along with Bryan and Jeren, Ro, who hit it great today but had nothing to show for it, but I have a feeling those line drives will start falling, pitchers Ben Bowden, one of our heart and soul guys of this baseball team, Sheff, Kyle Wright, John Kilichowski,  Collin Snider, Matt Ruppenthal, and, of course, stud catcher Jason Delay and his awesome backup, Karl Ellison, along with some other key young arms, I’m ecstatic about the prospects starting tomorrow @ 9:30 AM CT/10:30 AM ET vs A&M on the SEC Network.

 A&M tomorrow and lefty John Kilichowski gets the start for us. John got his first start against Auburn last Thursday Night and pitched six solid innings with just one mistake that led to a three run homer. But he got the win, pitched very well,  and I trust John completely to get the job done. John’s a very good pitcher and he’s clutch. Our lineup will face A&M right hander Andrew Vinson, who is 3-2 with a 2.83 ERA with seven walks and 39 K’s. He pitched against us in relief in the first game of our series at A&M two weeks ago and got the victory. So we’ll be tested. But I have full confidence we’ll be ready.

Saw an interview by SEC Network reporter Laura Rutledge with Carson and Dans, who were at the game, pulling for their former teammates and our young studs. They were awesome as usual. They both said pro baseball is a serious grind, day to day, and it’s different from college. But knowing Dans and Carson, they have embraced it. Carson is going to pitch for the B’ham Barons at home June 2nd, a Thursday, and I will be there to talk to him afterwards. Dans is coming into Birmingham with the Mississippi Braves in mid June and I will be talking to Dans then. Will have both studs’ comments on the blog the day after my conversations with them. Really looking forward to that. They’re the best. Two of the many Tim Corbin’ greats.  

David on the hill. Will have that recap tomorrow AM.

One final thing on our baseball team with a lot more to come in the coming days; this is a really, really high bar, but in my opinion, Corbs may have done his best job of player development this season. He’s been sensational as our coach as everyone at Vanderbilt and college baseball knows, but something about this season and how this pretty young team has developed to where we are now a force that can win this tournament and go very deep in June, is really phenomenal.  Corbs has been phenomenal for a long time. He’s something else. His coaching has always been superb, but it’s been as good as ever this season. Corbs deserves consideration for national coach of the year if you really study the game. To develop this young, tremendous group of players the way he has developed them this season, is a testament to what a phenomenal player developer Coach, Corbs is is. He’s the best in college baseball, hands down.

Women’s tennis

Couldn’t be more proud of Geoff McDonald and his awesome team. The girls battled their hearts out yesterday. We hardly ever lose, we don’t like it, and aren’t used to it. I really kind of had a problem with Fernanda Contreras’s match. We were down 3-2 in the team match to Stanford, and Fernanda and Frances Altick had split sets and were both in their respective third sets. Fernanda got down 1-5, but was giving her typical max effort. The Stanford girl made a couple of out calls on balls that looked good and were critical points in Fernanda’s attempt to come back. Fernanda was upset but handled it with class. The the umpire upheld the girl’s calls, which I was really surprised by. I didn’t agree with either call. They were really big points. Fernanda and Frances really battled. I hate to see our girls lose on a couple of bad calls. 

But it was another exceptional season for Geoff, Sydney Campbell, Frances, Astra Sharma, who is super clutch and will be back I’m pretty sure along with the first two, if they don’t go to the next level, senior Courtney Colton, who was supremely clutch throughout her career and particularly in this postseason, Georgina Sellyn, and all our other girls. We had a tremendous team, we just came up a little short this year. But I stay excited about what Geoff does and will do in the future. Geoff and the girls were remarkable this season. So proud of them. We’ll be back, I promise you that. Proud of what we accomplished this year. There are many teams wishing they could win  the national championship in 2015 and go to the Final Four in 2016. The girls were superb.

Women’s basketball hires new coach

Athletics Director David Williams has hired a new women’s basketball coach and she is Stephanie White, who comes to us from the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, which she led to the WNBA finals two years ago in her first season. This is a super hire by our athletic director. As a player, Stephanie was national player of the year in 1999 after leading her Purdue Boilermakers team to the national championship. She averaged 20.2 ppg her senior year and was an Academic All American. She played five successful years in the WNBA and was named to the Indiana Fever All-Decade team in the first decade of this century. Stephanie replaces Melanie Balcomb, who resigned last month after 14 pretty successful years at VU. Melanie brought in a top 10 class for next season, and their is good talent coming back, so we could be right in the tournament again next year. Really excited about the Stephanie White hire. She’s going to be outstanding. She was a terrific three point shooter in her career and has good experience as a college assistant. Pumped about the future for the women’s bball team. Dr. Williams hit another home run again with this hire.

By the way, in the men’s basketball SEC/Big 12 Challenge next January, 2017,, we’ll play Iowa State at home, which should be a stellar game. The game will be on January 28th in conjunction with other SEC-Big 12 games, and will be televised by the ESPN networks. Excited to see what Bryce can do with the top of the line talent we have returning and our two incoming freshmen. There may be another player in the mix before June is over with. Would be nice to grab another point guard, either a transfer or a freshman. But we’ll be fine with Riley and freshman Payton Willis if we don’t get one for next season.

NBA tonight

Fes and Steph in action tonight as the Warriors are down 1-2 in their series with OKC. They are at OKC. Game time is 8 PM CT/9PM ET on TNT. Huge game for Fes, Steph and the team. Fes playing well. Hope Steve Kerr uses him a lot tonight. Really need this one. Don’t need to go down 1-3.

Also, my Tampa Bay Lightning are playing the Pittsburgh Penguins right now on NBC Sports Network in the sixth game of the Eastern Conference Championship in the NHL Stanley Cup semifinals. They are tied 0-0 n the first period. The reason I like the Lightning so much is that they remind me so much of Vanderbilt athletes. They are total heart guys. They are missing their starting goalie, Ben Bishop, who is superb and out with an injury, though he may play tonight, their best offensive player and one of their best defensive players, both of whom may be back soon, and they’re still getting it done. They’re up 3-2 in the series and can close it out tonight and make their second consecutive Stanley Cup Finals appearance with a victory at home. If they win tonight, they’ll play the winner of two outstanding Western Conference teams, the San Jose Sharks and the St. Louis Blues. San Jose won last night at St. Louis, 6-3, in a super clutch performance, that put them up 3-2 in the series with game 6 at San Jose tomorrow night. It’s pretty epic stuff in the NHL right now too. 

Finally and most importantly for our family

If you would please keep my wife and my nephew, Drew Williams, in your prayers. Drew, 14, was bitten by a copperhead today while he was in his barn by his house in Enterprise, AL. helping his dad move some wood around. There’s a lot of things I admire about Drew. First of all, he’s the finest young man I’ve ever met in my life. For example, for Mother’s Day Drew first went over to his grandfather’s house and hooked up a television to cable, got the channels in order, and set his Papa up with a new TV. Then, for his mom Marty, he took two shovels and a couple of picks and built an entire garden for Marty with trees, flowers and bushes. He worked on this late Sunday afternoon after everything else he did that day.That’s just one of the many examples of what Drew does for people. He’s got a tremendous heart. Drew was bitten in his foot at about 12:30 PM CT today, and was in major pain. Drew is tougher than nails and the doctor or nurse asked him from 1-10 what kind of pain he was in, and he said “8.” To other people that’s an 11. He is resting now and doing a lot better and we’re getting out of the woods, but your prayers would be greatly appreciated.

In addition to what a great young man Drew is, he’s a tremendous student, and a tremendous baseball and football player. Baseball’s his first passion and he’s an exceptional catcher, pitcher and hitter. Drew, and his younger brother Jack, 12, are superbly clutch baseball players. Jack plays shortstop and pitches and can really hit as well. They are both outstanding football players, too, as they both had pick sixes in their football practices a couple of weeks ago. Really talented athletes and superb young boys. But baseball is Drew’s and Jack’s first love. I would love to see Drew and Jack both playing for Tim Corbin at Vanderbilt. They fit the Vanderbilt baseball profile with a capital V and a three exclamation points. They are exceptional young men. Drew is in intensive care right now, but resting comfortably and is ready to get out and start being active again. That’s typical Drew. Ready to get back to activity and being the positive, productive person that he is.  But he has to stay in the hospital for 24 hours to be all clear. He is getting Anti-Venom IV’s every six hours. Please keep this awesome young man in your prayers, along with his parents, Marty and Brent, who are exceptional people also, and his younger brother Jack.

What makes this more important, if it’s not important enough already, is that our family lost our beloved mother, wife, mother in law grandmother and friend, Mary, to cancer a month ago. So this just made that come back a little bit. Please keep Drew, Marty, Brent and Jack in your prayers.  My wife and I would greatly appreciate it. 

Thanks a lot.

Will get back in the AM with Price, Fes roundup, and be ready for our huge game with A&M.

The Men’s golf team*** plays in the NCAA Championships at Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Oregon starting this Friday. Coach Scott Limbaugh and the team have been tremendous this season, and I’m very excited to see the guys compete and go for the national title this weekend and early next week. Will keep you posted on the guys’ progress. 

Going with Nyquist again. Nyquist is 3-5 to win at Pimlico and I think he will though Exagerrator at 3-1, should give him a good run for his money like he did at the Derby in which he almost caught Nyquist at the finish line. Like Nyquist to capture the second leg of the Triple Crown and be primed to capture the second consecutive triple crown after Pharoah did it last year, which was the first time in 37 years after Affirmed did it in 1978. Seattle Slew had won it the year before in 1977, so kind of interesting if Nyquist pulls it off today. I like Nyquist to get it done on the 1 3/16 mile track just outside of Baltimore. 

Post time is 6:45 PM ET/5:45 PM CT and will be televised by NBC.  Rain is expected at 6 PM, so  it’ll be a wet track. But Nyquist is a good wet track horse, so still like him. Trainer Doug O’Neill, jockey Mario Guitierrez, and owner Paul Roddam get it done again. 

Winner: Nyquist

French Open

In the men’s singles finials at Roland Garros just outside of Paris, I like:

Novak Djokovic over Andy Murray in four sets.

Djoker will be tested by Rafa Nadal in the semis, and he’ll get out of there with a tough five set victory, then he’ll be challenged by Murray in the final, but he’ll prevail. Like Djoker to win his 12th Slam and first French. He has won six Australian Opens, three Wimbledons and two U.S. Opens. This would be a “Nova” slam because he won Wimbledon, the U.S. and the Australian in 2015 (Wimbledon, U.S.) and 2016 (Australian). Pretty spectacular stuff from the 28 Serbian year old, who will be 29 tomorrow. Novak could very well challenge the Federer all time record of 17 Grand Slam titles. Roger is out of the French with an injury. This is the first Slam Roger has missed in 17 years. But Rafa and Andy will give Novak a run for his money for sure.

In the women’s

Serena Williams

Serena over whomever she plays. She’s just too good for the rest of this field right now. They’re catching up, but Serena is playing well and is unstoppable right now. She’s still got it at 34 years old and is going for her 22nd Slam to tie Steffi Graf for second most Grand Slam history. Margaret Court has the most at 24. She’s second only to Graf in the Open era. Maybe Madison Keys will give Serena some problems or Simona Halep. They’re good players and up and coming, but Serena is too good right now. Now that Maria Sharapova is out due to performance enhancer use and Caroline Wozniacki is out with injury, it’s just hard to find a player that can beat Serena at this point. 

We got no hit by A&M pitcher Kyle Simonds and lost 3-0. We dropped to 36-12, and 14-10 in the SEC East. Just couldn’t get anything going with the bats. But we have to put it behind us because we have No. 9 Louisville coming to town, at the Hawk, Tuesday at 6 PM CT/7 PM ET on the SEC Network. Then we go to No.1 Florida for games Friday through Sunday. Friday’s game is at 6 PM CT/7 PM ET on the SEC Network, Saturday’s game is at 3 PM CT/4 PM ET on ESPN2, and Sunday’s game is at noon CT/1 PM ET on the SEC Network. Freshman Patrick Raby gave us a pretty good start, but we never could get it going offensively. A&M moved to 37-10 overall and 16-8 in the SEC West.

Tony Kemp hit a homer to deep right for the Fresno Grizzlies in the top of third against the El Paso team in Triple A ball. Tony hitting .297 now. Proud of T. The Houston Astros are 11-20, which is .365 ball, so it would seem like they’d want to make some changes. Tony should get a shot before the year is over. Hopefully sooner than later. Tony is definitely a big league player and can be an excellent big league player.

Dansby went 0 for 3 last night for the Greenville Braves against Chattanooga. He was hit by a pitch. Still hitting .346 in seven games. He’ll be in Atlanta before the year is out. Sooner rather than later, maybe before the All-Star break. I’m hoping he’ll stick with Mississippi until Wednesday, June 15th when he comes to Birmingham and I can talk to him.

Carson pitching Wednesday for the Birmingham Barons. Will be there and have a report with an interview with Carson.

DP got rocked yesterday pretty much by the Yankees as the Sox lost 8-2 at Yankee Stadium. David only got through 4.2 innings and gave up 7 hits, six earned, with three walks and four K’s. He threw 104 pitches with 62 for strikes and 42 balls. Not Dave’s best. He dropped to 4-1 with a 6.75 ERA.

Sonny on the hill at Fenway tomorrow as the A’s are at the Bosox. David will pitch again Thursday vs the Astros at home. Should be a great matchup as he faces usual Houston ace, lefty Dallas Keuchel. Keuchel, like his team, has been struggling this season at 2-4 with a 4,70 ERA. But he’s capable, so a big test for David on Thursday. Sonny faces Clay Bucholz tomorrow night. 

Pedro went 0 for 3 last night with a walk as DH for the O’s and Ryan Flaherty, who’s become the O’s regular third baseman with shortstop J.J., Hardy breaking his foot and Manny Machado taking over at shortstop, was 1 for 3 and the O’s split a twin bill with a 5-2 nightcap win over the A’s. The A’s won the first game 8-4. The Orioles moved to 17-12 and lead the Bosox by a game in the AL East. The Sox are at 17-13 and play the Yankees tonight on Sunday Night Baseball at 8 PM ET/ 7 PM CT on ESPN.