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Astros Springer Hot Streak cooled by injury.

Written by Tucker Stephenson on . Posted in MLB.

Astros fans had plenty of reason to be nervous when George Springer left Sunday’s game against the Red Sox with back soreness.

After all, Springer is off to a blazing start for Houston in 2019, as he came into this week batting .313 with 17 homers, 42 RBIs, 41 runs scored and an OPS of 1.050. 

Luckily, Springer’s MRI revealed no structural problems in his lower back, which means the budding star outfielder will dodge a trip to the injured list. Instead, he’s listed as day-to-day and could return for the Astros’ current series against the White Sox, which wraps up Thursday.

However, manager A.J. Hinch could choose to play it safe and keep Springer on the shelf until this weekend’s three-game set with Boston at Minute Maid Park. No matter what the decision, Houston can’t wait to see the 29-year-old back in the lineup launching “Springer dingers” at The Juice Box.

As of Tuesday evening, the Astros were in first place in the American League West and held a comfortable 8 1/2-game lead over Oakland. That enough is reason to believe that Houston won’t rush Springer — or teammate Jose Altuve — back too soon.

Of course, stellar performances are nothing new for Springer, who won the 2017 World Series MVP award while helping Houston outlast the Los Angeles Dodgers in a seven-game showdown than neither fan base will ever forget.

But Springer has raised his game even more this season, which is reflected by the fact that he leads the American League in home runs, RBIs, runs scored and total bases while hitting in a deep Astros lineup. He’s on pace for a career year across the board if he can stay healthy, but a few days of rest likely won’t hurt him in the long run — even if he can’t wait to get back out on the field.

“I always want to play,” Springer told the Houston Chronicle’s David Barron when asked if he would be back in the lineup on Monday. “I’ll see how I feel and I’ll go from there.”

Springer’s production hasn’t just helped Houston win games — he’s also becoming a fantasy baseball hero nationwide. On Yahoo.com’s list of top performers, Springer ranked third overall on Tuesday night and was ahead of big names like Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Kris Bryant and Bryce Harper.

Houston Astros’ George Springer (4) watches his two-run home run in front of Boston Red Sox’s Christian Vazquez during the eighth inning of a baseball game in Boston, Friday, May 17, 2019. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Not bad for a guy making $12 million per season compared to more than twice that price for the newly-signed Harper.

If Springer continues his current surge, his contract will surely balloon, but for now, the Astros just want him back in center field as soon as possible. Once he returns and Houston moves closer to being at full strength, there will only be two worlds of advice for every team they face from here on out.

Good luck.

Warriors Roll Blazers

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in NBA.

Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, left, lays up a shot past Portland Trail Blazers’ Maurice Harkless during the first half of Game 1 of the NBA basketball playoffs Western Conference finals Tuesday, May 14, 2019, in Oakland, Calif.

Can anyone beat the Warriors? Can anyone stop this team? If my beloved Rockets couldn’t de-thrown them without KD at home in a “must win” game then I don’t know who can.

Portland may have narrowly defeated the Nuggets in 7 in the 2nd round of the NBA playoffs, but this is the Western Conference finals and now they are playing the reigning champions. Something only LeBron James could do with a healthy young Kyrie Irving in 7 games against a Warriors team with no Kevin Durant.

Stephen Curry hit nine three-pointers for 36 points as the No. 1 seed Golden State Warriors defeated the No. 3 Portland Trail Blazers 116-94 in Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference Finals on Tuesday.

Damian Lillard scored 19 points for the visitors, who are down 1-0 in the best-of-seven series. CJ McCollum, Moe Harkless and Rodney Hood each scored 17. This series will likely go 5 games with the Warriors winning 4-1.

Texas Stars Re-Sign Right Wing Brad McClure

Written by Brian Tosti on . Posted in HOCKEY.

CEDAR PARK, Texas – The Texas Stars, American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars, announced Tuesday that the club has signed right wing Brad McClure for the upcoming 2019-2020. McClure began the 2018-19 season with the team’s ECHL affiliate, the Idaho Steelheads, before logging 30 games with Texas.

McClure, 25, earned his first career promotion to the AHL on Jan. 7, 2019 and made his AHL debut five days later against the Iowa Wild. Following his AHL debut, McClure skated in 30 of the 29 of the Stars final 27 games and collected 11 points (9-2=11) in that stretch. Of his nine goals, three were game winning tallies which included his first AHL goal on Feb. 19 against the Iowa Wild in overtime. The 5-foot-11, 191 pound winger recorded his first career hat trick on Mar. 30, netting all three goals in the third period.

Before earning his full time call to the Texas Stars lineup, McClure was one of the leading scorers of the Steelheads. The Stratford, Ontario native produced 39 points (19-20=39) across 42 ECHL games ending the year third on the roster in goals. McClure went on to rejoin the Steelheads in the Kelly Cup Playoffs, helping them advance to the Mountain Division final with five points (3-2=5) in nine games.

McClure Is one year removed from a his collegiate career at Minnesota State University-Mankato. The former Mavericks captain logged 159 career games at his alma mater from 2014 to 2018 and tallied 91 points (45-46=91).

The Texas Stars are the primary development affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars, return for the 2019-2020 season at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. Ticket packages for the Texas Stars 2019-20 campaign are on sale now. For more information or to renew your seats, call (512) GO-STARS (467-8277) or visit TexasStars.com.

A Tale of Two Coaches: Panther Baseball

Written by Tucker Stephenson on . Posted in High School Baseball.

LIBERTY HILL — Even before the 2019 season began to take shape, it was obvious that the Liberty Hill baseball program had the potential to make some serious noise.

With a loaded roster and senior leadership in several key spots, the Panthers appeared poised to make the leap into the upper echelon of Class 4A competitors and become a force to be reckoned with statewide. There was just one problem — Liberty Hill was essentially a fully-loaded sports car without a proper steering system in place.

Luckily, Bryan Alexander — the father of first baseman Cole Alexander and a member of the Round Round Express’ front office — knew just the man to provide such direction.

In the summer of 2018, Alexander, a former coach at Alvin Junior College, reached out to former player Steven Hutcherson, who had previously won a state championship at Grapevine in 2016 and guided the Mustangs all the way back to the title game in 2017.

After being unable to sway Hutcherson in previous conversations, this time the Panthers got their man.

“I didn’t see myself going anywhere,” Hutcherson said. “Then, not too long after that, my parents said, ‘Hey we’re going to build our retirement home in the Central Texas area.’ Me and my wife said if we could ever be around them, we would like to be around them and be at a place with a good school and a good baseball program — all of the above. As soon as all of that kind of panned out, [Bryan Alexander] was one of the first calls I got, saying basically, ‘I think [the job is] going to be open. Would you be interested?’ It just kind of all worked.”

Under Hutcherson’s tutelage, Liberty Hill and its fearsome foursome of seniors Cole Alexander, Wyatt Cheney, Kaden Dydalewicz and Kory Schmidt have transformed into a top-five team and recently wrapped up a perfect 10-0 run through District 27-4A.

“It’s been everything people told me it would be based on the talent level and how the kids are and their work ethic and all that,” Hutcherson said.

Cole Alexander, a Central Arkansas signee, said his dad warned him early on that there was a new sheriff in town.

“He basically told me that I better get it together if I’m being dumb or anything, because Hutch was going to bear down and make us better,” he said. “We were going down a not-very-good path with our former coach, and he turned it completely around.”

Cheney, a right-hander pitcher who has signed to play for Oklahoma State, agreed.

“There’s just a lot more energy at practice,” Cheney said. “Everybody wants to go out there and play hard and it’s changed a lot. More accountability has been brought to the table.”

However, Hutcherson wasn’t the only key addition in the offseason. Dydalewicz moved to Liberty Hill from Frisco prior to his senior year, and the right-handed TCU signee has since combined with Cheney to become one of the most formidable one-two pitching combinations in the Lone Star State.

Schmidt, the team’s catcher, said each hurler is remarkable in his own right.

“They’re both different, but they’re both really, really good,” Schmidt said. “Cheney’s got one of the best breaking balls I’ve ever seen, and Dydalewicz can throw it up there harder than I’ve really ever seen, so it’s a joy to catch both these guys.”

Much like Hutcherson, Dydalewicz said the move to Liberty Hill came at the perfect time.

“As soon as I came on my visit, there was something about Liberty Hill that just felt special coming in here and playing baseball,” he said. “It’s been pretty awesome. I was surrounded by good people and the whole team clicked together.”

Of course, the Panthers’ pitching may steal quite a few of the headlines, but the lineup isn’t anything to sneeze at, either. Liberty Hill possesses a mix of speed and power that helped the team average 8.1 runs per game during the regular season.

“We’ve got a stacked lineup,” Dydalewicz said. “I think we’ve got a lot of power hitters and contact hitters and we don’t strike out. We go up there and fight during every at-bat.”

The Panthers entered the postseason riding a 17-game winning streak and immediately set their sights on becoming the fourth team sport from Liberty Hill to advance to the state level during the 2018-19 school year alone. Cheney, who was also a starting safety on the state runner-up football team, said the Panthers’ standard of excellence has now extended to the diamond as well.

“It’s more of an expectation for us to make it,” Cheney said. “We hold the standards high here in Liberty Hill.”

Westlake and Lake Travis still alive in Playoffs

Written by Tucker Stephenson on . Posted in High School Baseball.

It was mostly smooth sailing for District 25-6A’s Lake Travis and Westlake during a pair of best-of-three area round playoff series this past weekend. 

The district champion Cavaliers (31-3), currently ranked fifth in Class 6A by the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association, swept San Antonio Brandeis by respective scores of 8-2 and 5-1, while the Chaparrals (29-6-1) defeated South San Antonio 11-0 and 8-7.

In Lake Travis’ opener on Friday, the Cavs plated seven runs in the bottom of the fourth to erase a 2-0 deficit. Lake Travis outhit the Broncos 11-5 and saw Kyle Boyer go 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs, while Jack Lopez and Braden Olsen were each 2 for 4. Leadoff man Brett Baty finished 1 for 2 with a double and two RBIs.

Storm Hierholzer worked a complete game in the opener and held Brandeis to a pair of runs on five hits while striking out five.

The Cavaliers secured the sweep on Saturday after taking advantage of three Bronco errors and riding the 11-strikeout performance of Baty from the mound. The Longhorn signee allowed one run on three hits in the contest.

Jack Jalufka was 1 for 3 with a double and two RBIs, and the duo of Aidan Babinski and Austin Plante also drove in a run.

Lake Travis will now face San Antonio Johnson in the regional quarterfinals.

It was a tale of two very different games for Westlake, which slammed South San 11-1 in five innings in Game 1 before using a walk-off in Game 2 to prevail in 12 innings.

Leo Lowin clinched a series sweep on Friday by smacking a double to left field to drive in teammate Austin Schmidt from second. The extra-base knock capped a huge rally from the Chaps, who plated seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to come all the way back from a 7-0 hole.

The big inning included two-RBI base hits by Ford Elliott and Taylor Anderson in addition to RBI singles from Grey Harrison and Elliot Schwarzbach and a South San error.

Dylan Savino picked up the win in relief after tossing six scoreless innings and holding South San to just one hit while striking out eight.

In Thursday’s opener, shortstop Peyton Sanderson went 3 for 4 with two home runs and five RBIs. Lowin went 2 for 3 with a home run, a double and three runs driven in. Harrison was the winning pitcher in Game 1 after surrendering one unearned run on three hits and striking out five batters.

The Chaps are now slated to face No. 2-ranked San Antonio Reagan in the third round of the 6A postseason.

High School Baseball Playoffs – Update

Written by Tucker Stephenson on . Posted in High School Baseball.

Saturday was another great afternoon to be an Eagle, as No. 1-ranked Georgetown blasted Pflugerville Weiss 13-0 at home in a winner-take-all Class 5A bi-district playoff contest.

The Eagles (32-2-1) invoked the 10-run mercy rule after notching 11 hits and doing all of their damage offensively in the first and third innings.

Georgetown took a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the opening frame thanks to RBIs from Ty Tilson, Jackson Sioson, Wesley Dixon and Grant Wood in addition to a double steal that allowed Wyatt Childress to swipe home.

With starting pitcher Jack Brinley in cruise control mode, the Eagles struck for eight more runs in the third. Dixon posted an RBI triple before he was brought in by a single from Wood, and Jeffrey David soon added an RBI double. Georgetown also received an RBI single from Cole Posey and saw Sioson cap the game’s scoring with an RBI triple to right field.

Sioson finished 3 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Wood was 2 for 3 with a pair of RBIs as well.

Brinley got the win after tossing four scoreless innings and striking out six. Ryan Courtney worked the final inning and fanned two.

Head coach Adam Foster’s team is now slated to battle College Station in the area round.

Rouse sweeps Bastrop Cedar Creek

The Rouse Raiders made short work of Bastrop Cedar Creek after notching 8-3 and 2-1 wins this past weekend to move on to the second round of the 5A postseason.

Rouse (21-10) overcame a 2-0 deficit in its bi-district series opener on Thursday by scratching across six straight runs in the third and fourth frames. Connor Bennett was a huge part of the triumph, as he went the distance from the bump with 10 strikeouts and also finished 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI.

Dalton Porter launched a two-run home run to tie the game in the third, and the Raiders plated two more runs on an error to take a 4-2 lead. Rouse took advantage of seven Cedar Creek miscues in the opener.

Game 2 on Friday was much more closely contested, with the Raiders finally breaking through for two tallies in the bottom of the sixth. Down 1-0, Rouse saw Fischer Kingsbery deliver a two-run triple to right field to bring in both Robert Mount and Lance Little.

Kingsbery, who started the game, then slammed the door shut on Cedar Creek by retiring three of the four batters he faced in the top of the seventh. Kingsbery allowed just four hits and notched five strikeouts in the win while also going 3 for 3 from the plate.

The Raiders will now turn their attention to the Porter Spartans in a second-round matchup.

Dragons roast Bridgeland 13-2

District 13-6A champ Round Rock belted Bridgeland 13-2 this past Thursday in a one-game bi-district playoff.

The Dragons (25-10) jumped out to a 10-0 lead and brought the mercy rule into play by plating three more runs in the top of the sixth and then silencing Bridgeland in the bottom half of the frame.

Reagan Doss crushed a three-run home run to left in the first inning to help his team take a 4-0 lead, and he finished with four total RBIs. Colton Regan added a solo shot to increase Round Rock’s advantage to 7-0 in the third.

Jared McKenzie and Cameron Dayton also had big outings at the plate for the Dragons. McKenzie, the team’s leadoff hitter, went 2 for 3 with a triple, a double, three RBIs and two runs scored, while Dayton was 2 for 4 with a double and one run driven in.

Dayton also collected the victory from the hill after throwing five innings and giving up two runs on four hits while striking out three. Sean Swain tossed a scoreless sixth and struck out two of the three batters he faced.

Up next for Round Rock is a matchup with Conroe Oak Ridge in the upcoming area round.

Major League Baseball Draft Outlook: Rouse High School’s Jared Southard

Written by Daniel Jones on . Posted in MLB.

Jared Southard has been making most opposing high school batters look foolish for the past few years. It’s almost been like a Division I pitcher throwing to a high school’s junior varsity team. The stocky, six-foot-two-inch, 200-plus-pound pitcher, a senior at Rouse High School in Leander, has been surely dominating this season. He’s given up fewer than 10 hits, and just one earned run, in 40-something innings, and at the end of the regular season was nearing 100 strikeouts. He’s thrown several one-hitters and even one or two no-hitters this season.


Southard committed to play baseball at UT in the fall of 2016 when he had just turned 16 years old his sophomore year. Even then he was throwing in the upper 80s. Now, he throws a fastball that consistently hits 91-93 MPH, often topping out at 96. This fact, coupled with command and his sharp, hard-breaking curveball that routinely hits 77-80 MPH, makes Southard virtually unhittable at the high school level. When Southard signed with UT in 2016, he was ranked as the 135th overall player in the country in the graduating class of 2019, was considered the 15th best player in the state of Texas, and was ranked third for all right-handed pitchers in the state for the 2019 class. In 2016, following his sophomore year, he was named an Honorable Mention Underclass All-American. Now the young fireballer will surely get drafted this June, which could lead to him signing a contract to play professional baseball.

Southard didn’t start pitching seriously until the summer before his sophomore season; before that he’d been a catcher. And then really things took off for him: He was named to 17-5A’s All-District team after his sophomore and junior seasons. He has played club and travel baseball with the Houston Banditos, and even represented Texas at the States Play Tournament hosted by the Texas Rangers. University of Texas head coach David Pierce, speaking to the Longhorns’ official website, said he thinks of Southard as a “power right-hander.” He said the young pitcher “looks the part, and his arm is explosive. He continues to work hard to be the best he can be. Jared’s ceiling is tremendously high, and he has a chance to reach it because he is a grinder.”

“[Jared] has been really good,” Rouse head coach Chad Krempin said. “He is undefeated on the season, and he hasn’t given up an earned run on the season. He’s given up six hits, I believe, in 40-something innings.” Coach Krempin admitted that the Rouse coaching staff decided early on to limit Southard’s time on the mound. That way, he wouldn’t be overthrown, which could lead to injuries and an inability to use him down the road in the playoffs.

But since throwing Southard more frequently late in the regular season, coach Krempin said Southard has “been phenomenal; he’s thrown several one-hitters and one or two no-hitters. And just one run, unearned, has been scored against him. … I think he’s going to get drafted pretty high. There’s a chance that he could sign if he’s drafted high enough.” In other words, if Southard gets drafted high enough in the Major League Baseball June draft, whether in the first, second or third rounds, the money that is likely to come from a signing bonus (perhaps well into the seven figures) would certainly influence Southard’s decision to choose a career in professional baseball over playing at UT.

Rockets knock off Jazz move to 2nd Round.

Written by Russell Dowden on . Posted in NBA.

Houston – The Rockets played tight defense in a huge win over a tough Jazz team Wednesday night as the 100 to 93 victory advances the team into the next round of the NBA Playoffs.

A great moral win as well since the Warriors were out hustled and out hooped at home Wednesday against a gritty LA Clippers team who were facing elimination. The longer those two keep battling to see who takes on the awaiting Rockets the more rest Houston will get. The Clippers host the Warriors on Friday in LA for game 6 .

The Rockets will now advance to the Western Conference Semifinals for the third straight season. “These last few games, we hung our hat on defense and that’s what gonna get us to our goal,” said point guard James Harden.

The Rockets’ came up 1 game short in last years goal is to win an NBA championship when Chris Paul injured his hamstring in game 6 of the 2018 Western Conference finals. With a renewed since of pride and goal of getting back to the Finals the Rockets like their chances.

Although Houston is still waiting on its second-round opponent following Los Angeles’ victory in Wednesday’s Game 5, the Rockets will reportedly fly to the Bay Area on Friday in anticipation of a Sunday matchup with the Warriors reported the Houston Chronicle. Clint Capela says he wants to play Warriors in the next round even though Chris Paul

Capela: “That’s what I want. I want to face them.” Speaking about the Warriors. Paul to Capela: “Aw, man. You’re going to be all over Bleacher Report. It’s cool, though. It is what it is.”

Houston Rockets guard Chris Paul (3) goes to the basket in front of Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, April 9, 2019, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Paul to a reporter: “Look at you. You can’t wait to tweet that.”

Capela: “We’ve been working on it all year long. I think if you want to be the champion, you’ve got to beat the champion. So, at some point, you’ve got to do it, right?” Game 1 will be Sunday unless the Clippers win Friday.

Georgetown Eagles Baseball

Written by Daniel Jones on . Posted in High School Baseball, TEXAS SPORTS.

The highly ranked team has proven experience, talent and mindset to make deep run in State Playoffs. (Editor Note. Article originally appeared Feb 19th 2019 Print Version. Updated edition for recent playoff activity)

BY DANIEL JONES

“Our main goal right now is really trying to build our team chemistry,” Georgetown High School’s head baseball coach Adam Foster said in early February, “and really focusing on energy and the process of trying to avoid getting wrapped up in being ranked fourth in the state” (as noted in txhighschoolbaseball.com’s preseason poll).

Nonetheless, he added that the program’s 2018 success garnered this ranking, when the Eagles went 32-11-1 overall (14-0 in District 18-5A) and made it to the fourth round of the playoffs, losing in the regional semi-finals. Nine players from that team graduated, but only six started. And building talented baseball players is a tradition at Georgetown High School: In the last 20 or so years, the program has developed several Division I and professional ballplayers, including Brewers closer Corey Knebel who played at UT.

In 2019, Georgetown has all the ingredients to brew up another fantastic season ‒ a lot of returning starters, experience, a lineup that has seen a lot of quality at-bats against some of the state’s best pitching, and a complete array of arms that comprise what coach Foster said is “probably the best pitching staff, top to bottom, in the state of Texas. No real superstars, but everybody’s got a role, and they’re really good at their role.” He said this year’s team still has to go out and prove their preseason ranking.

Coach Foster expects senior shortstop Cole Posey, who will play next year at Boise State, to be in the middle of the team’s lineup and have a “huge contribution.” A three-year starter at Georgetown, Posey last season hit .234. Senior catcher Wyatt Childress will be at the top of the lineup and should lead the team’s running game ‒ last year he had 30 stolen bases and two triples in 37 games while hitting .261. “He can really run,” coach Foster said. Of all returning players, senior third baseman Jeffrey David, expected to hit in the middle of the order, had the highest batting average at .322; he has committed to play next year at Texas A&M.

Coach Foster said if the Eagles’ offense can match its pitching, “it’s going to be a very special year.” Georgetown has a truly complete pitching staff returning for 2019, equipped with senior right-handed starters Grant Wood and Jack Brinley, both of whom throw in the upper 80s and have solid breaking balls, and also a stacked bullpen of guys capable of coming in at any time to get batters out. Wood, who will pitch next year at Blinn Junior College, went 6-2 last spring with a 2.38 ERA in 10 starts and 13 games pitched. Brinley was 5-1 with a 1.35 ERA in six starts. The bullpen consists of seniors Reese Grimes (18 games pitched, three saves and a 1.46 ERA), Brooks Hancock, lefties Jared Pierce and Noah Thompson (3-0, 3.15 ERA), Ryan Courtney and Jackson Sioson (2-1, 11 games pitched, 2.33 ERA), who is the team’s closer and lead the 2018 team with five saves.

After beginning the season with a series of scrimmages and competitive tournament games, Georgetown starts district play in mid-March. “Every year, at this time, everyone’s expectation is winning the last game of the season,” coach Foster said. “It’s completely obtainable and very possible right now. … This happens to be one of the best teams we’ve ever had. If we can get them to play for each other, I think the sky’s the limit with this bunch.”

NOTE: “I think the Georgetown and Williamson County area has some of the best ball players in all of Central Texas if you look at the teams making the state playoff’s right now ” Coach Foster told Texas Sports Monthly April 23rd 2019. Georgetown will face an old district rival in Rouse Raiders this Thursday at Leander Rouse. The Raiders are well coached by Chad Krempin and currently the 2019 District Champs at 19-8 and (12-0) district play.

The Eagles of Georgetown 28-2 (12-0) district will face the Raiders of Rouse this Thursday at 7pm for the first round of area High School playoffs!

Derek White mining for hometown win at Nuggets.

Written by Tucker Stephenson on . Posted in NBA.

SAN ANTONIO — By now, Derrick White’s status as one of the NBA’s best kept secrets is already in danger.

The rest of the nation is beginning to understand what Spurs fans have realized for much of the 2018-19 season — that the second-year pro from the University of Colorado isn’t just a vital role player for San Antonio. In fact, he may be on the short list for most valuable performers on the entire roster.

However, just four years ago, White’s rise to prominence in the NBA playoffs would’ve seemed too far-fetched for anyone to imagine. 

Born in Parker, Colorado — a suburb of Denver — White signed with the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (UCCS) out of high school as a 6-foot combo guard. Everything changed when he shot up five inches by the time he reached the NCAA Division II school, and he set new program records for most points and assists in a career during his three seasons with UCCS.

White then transferred to the main campus in Boulder and enjoyed a stellar 2016-17 campaign with the Pac 12’s Buffaloes that included first team all-conference honors.

The Spurs, as they’ve done numerous times over the years, identified White’s potential and targeted him with the 29th overall selection of the 2017 NBA Draft. He immediately went to the G League, where he played for the Austin Spurs and quickly earned a reputation as a cool customer and a near-automatic scorer.

White saw some time with San Antonio during his rookie year, but was used sparingly as he made the transition to the NBA game. He was expected to be utilized in a reserve role in his sophomore season, but once again an unforeseen circumstance thrust him into the spotlight from relative obscurity.

This time, White’s big break came in the form of a season-ending injury to another fledging star — Dejounte Murray. When the point guard tore his ACL in the preseason, many Spurs fans wondered aloud who would be able to replace his defensive prowess in addition to running the offense smoothly from the point guard spot.

White was tabbed as the replacement, but his own foot injury sidelined him until early November against the Miami Heat. Once he entered the lineup, San Antonio’s perimeter defense was noticeably better, while its offense ran more efficiently than before.

White suffered an injury to his other foot in February, and some pundits openly wondered if it would derail the Spurs’ playoff hopes. Thankfully, he was back in plenty of time to round into form for San Antonio’s first-round matchup with his hometown Denver Nuggets.

And if Denver fans hadn’t heard of White prior to the series, you can bet they have now.

White scored 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting in San Antonio’s Game 1 win over the Nuggets, but that was nothing compared to his 36-point explosion in Game 3 Thursday at the AT&T Center. That’s right, White set a new career high in a pivotal playoff game, and did so while converting 15 of his 21 total field goals.

“He was obviously spectacular,” Popovich said after Game 3. “I don’t know what else to say.”

His dominance was startling to most, as he did the majority of his damage near the rim and with his mid-range game. White has proven he can shoot the 3 as well, but his versatility is what separates him from other young players at similar stages of development.

Denver has vowed to make it their mission to stop White in Game 4, which is likely the first time the youngster has been a focal point of an NBA opponent’s game plan. It will definitely be interesting to watch White react following his best game as a pro, especially in what amounts to a must-win scenario for the Nuggets.