Phillip McDonald, known as P-Mac to Lobo fans, is finally injury free and is literally a big man on campus.
The 6-foot-5-inch guard is one of three seniors on the Lobos, including forwards Drew Gordon and A.J. Hardeman. McDonald said this team is just as talented as the 30-5 squad that made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2009.
McDonald was plagued by a nagging elbow injury that affected his shooting. He said he hopes to return to form as a dynamic shooter and rebounder.
He averaged 10.9 points per game last season — a slight improvement from the 10.4 he averaged in 2009. With a healthy body, those numbers could improve greatly he said.
“I’m not quite there yet because I still have pain there,” McDonald said. “That’s not going to come until later on.”
Earlier this year, McDonald became a father to a boy and said his son has helped him grow up.
“It definitely made me mature and it taught me how to balance my time between basketball, my family and my teammates,” McDonald said.
In fact, the usually quiet, low-key guard from Cypress, Texas found a voice with his teammates.
“He’s definitely trying to speak up and be a vocal leader,” Gordon said. “He’s definitely stepped up in his role on the team and it’s good to see.”
In high school he was a top-100 player in the country according to rivals.com and scout.com.
McDonald started all 33 games as a freshman and has started in 98 of his 100 games played at UNM.
He needs 46 points this season to become the 29th Lobo to score 1,000 points in a career and is on pace to finish in the top 20 in all-time scoring. McDonald is also 10th all time in three-point field goals with 160.
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Head coach Steve Alford said McDonald has become more than just a shooter since his freshman year.
“He’s turned into a very solid defender,” Alford said. “His ball handling ability has gotten better. His leadership ability has gotten better. So we’re very pleased how he’s developed and he’s going to be one of those guys who’s going to be asked to do more.”
McDonald said his time as a Lobo is coming to an end, but that’s what keeps him motivated.
“It just helps me to be more focused during the game and take every game like it’s my last one,” McDonald said.
