Phillip McDonald

Phillip McDonald
Phillip McDonald in 2009
Personal information
Born (1989-07-25) July 25, 1989 (age 35)
Cypress, Texas
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High schoolCypress Springs (Cypress, Texas)
CollegeNew Mexico (2008–2012)
NBA draft2012: undrafted
Playing career2012–present
PositionShooting guard
Career history
2012–2013Eco Örebro

Phillip Michael McDonald (born July 25, 1989) is an American professional basketball player. He began his college career playing for the New Mexico Lobos men's basketball team. Born in Cypress, Texas, McDonald was the starting shooting guard for the Lobos the first three years he has played, and provided experience and depth off the bench for the Lobos his senior year.

High school

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McDonald attended Cypress Springs High School in Cypress, Texas, and garnered a number of accolades during his four-year career. During his senior year for the Panthers, McDonald led Cypress Springs to a 32–7 record while averaging 19 points en route to being named the 17-5A District Most Valuable Player.[1][2] Through his recruiting process, McDonald was rated a four-star recruit by both Rivals.com and Scout.com, and was ranked the 20th and 19th best shooting guard in the nation, respectively.[3][4] ESPN pegged McDonald as the tenth best shooting guard nationally, enough to gain a 96 rating (out of 100) and a place in the ESPNU 100.[5] After McDonald signed in late 2007, Rivals.com named McDonald the top shooting guard signee in the Mountain West Conference.[6]

College

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Freshman Year, 2008-2009

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On September 12, 2007,[3] McDonald signed with Steve Alford's New Mexico Lobos basketball team, beating out other schools like Oregon, Kansas, Connecticut and Oklahoma.[7][8] McDonald was the starting shooting guard, and posted the most starts by a Lobos freshman since Rob Robbins started 36 in 1987–1988.[1] He posted double-digit scoring eleven times,[1] including a double-double in a win against Grambling St. and a pair of seventeen-point performances against Texas Tech and San Diego State.

Games Played Games Started Minutes/Game Points/Game Rebounds/Game Assists/Game Field Goal Percentage 3pt. Field Goal Percentage Free Throw Percentage
33 33 20.4 7.3 3.1 1.0 44.4% 36.6% 65.3%

Sophomore Year, 2009-2010

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Building off a solid freshman campaign, McDonald increased his production and impact as the Lobos marched into the Top 25. McDonald ranked sixth in the Mountain West Conference in three-point shooting through the entire year,[9] and fourth in the conference during conference play.[1] McDonald's premier sophomore games included posting a career high in points (27) in a 97-87 win over in-state rival New Mexico State, a 15-point performance in a 86-78 win over 25th-ranked Cal, and a 25-point outburst in a 73-50 victory over Air Force. At season's end, McDonald's work was rewarded, as he was named Honorable Mention All-Mountain West.[10]

Games Played Games Started Minutes/Game Points/Game Rebounds/Game Assists/Game Field Goal Percentage 3pt. Field Goal Percentage Free Throw Percentage
35 35 27.5 10.4 3.1 0.7 43.0% 39.6% 69.1%

Junior Year, 2010-2011

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Still poised to be a big part of the Lobos moving into the 2010–2011 season, McDonald was forced to miss the first three games of the season after suffering an elbow injury in an exhibition game to Manchester.[11] While it slightly hindered him, McDonald still soldiered through the season.[1] In a game versus New Mexico State, McDonald pulled down his second career double-double, notching 18 points to go with 10 boards. In a contest against Colorado State, McDonald tied a career high in points, as he tallied 27 points off the bench. Later in the season, McDonald posted 20 points in a 71-46 victory over TCU. His most celebrated junior moment came when New Mexico routed third-ranked BYU in Provo, as McDonald posted 26 points on 5-8 shooting from behind the arc.[12]

Games Played Games Started Minutes/Game Points/Game Rebounds/Game Assists/Game Field Goal Percentage 3pt. Field Goal Percentage Free Throw Percentage
32 30 27.8 10.9 4.3 1.1 40.4% 32.5% 76.6%

Senior Year, 2011-2012

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With the emergence of teammate Tony Snell as a legitimate all-around small forward and continual injury problems,[13] McDonald opened the season as a reserve, marking his last season as the only season he was not a starter for the majority of the season. Nonetheless, McDonald had a few shining games, including an 18-point effort in 19 minutes off the bench against UMKC.

Games Played Games Started Minutes/Game Points/Game Rebounds/Game Assists/Game Field Goal Percentage 3pt. Field Goal Percentage Free Throw Percentage
11 1 12.0 4.9 1.5 0.6 41.3% 46.7% 100.0%

Professional career

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In November 2012 Phillip signed to play for Eco Örebro, a professional team based out of Örebro, Sweden.

Personal life

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Phillip is married to former model, Michaela McDonald of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The two have son, Jayden McDonald born December 29, 2010, and daughter Mariah McDonald, born June 25, 2013

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Player Bio: Phillip McDonald - University of New Mexico Official Athletic Site". GoLobos.com. Archived from the original on 2011-09-02.
  2. ^ "Coaches release all-district boys basketball team". Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District. March 11, 2008. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Phillip McDonald Player Profile, Stats, and recruiting information on Yahoo! Sports". Rivals.com.
  4. ^ "Scout.com: Phillip McDonald Profile". Scout.com.
  5. ^ "Phillip McDonald 2008 Basketball Recruiting Profile - ESPN". ESPN.com.[dead link]
  6. ^ "Top Dogs: Best at each position". Rivals.com. November 14, 2007.
  7. ^ "Alford lands two new commitments at New Mexico". USA Today. September 28, 2007.
  8. ^ "University of New Mexico basketball recruits get heavy with the hype". Albuquerque Tribune. November 14, 2007. Archived from the original on November 16, 2010.
  9. ^ "Mountain West Team Scoring Per Game Statistics - 2009-10". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on January 24, 2013.
  10. ^ "Mountain West Conference Announces 2009-10 Men's Basketball All-Conference Awards". The Mountain West Conference Official Athletic Site. March 8, 2010. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011.
  11. ^ "Injury puts player on hold". New Mexico Daily Lobo. November 12, 2010.
  12. ^ "McDonald's 26 lifts New Mexico past No. 3 BYU". USA Today. March 3, 2011.
  13. ^ "McDonald scores 18 off the bench as New Mexico beats UMKC 87-62". Associated Press. December 22, 2011.[dead link]
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