Phillip McDonald
Phillip Michael McDonald 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
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. 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. ESPN pegged McDonald as the tenth best shooting guard nationally, enough to gain a 96 rating and a place in the ESPNU 100. After McDonald signed in late 2007, Rivals.com named McDonald the top shooting guard signee in the Mountain West Conference.College
Freshman Year, 2008-2009
On September 12, 2007, McDonald signed with Steve Alford's New Mexico Lobos basketball team, beating out other schools like Oregon, Kansas, Connecticut and Oklahoma. McDonald was the starting shooting guard, and posted the most starts by a Lobos freshman since Rob Robbins started 36 in 1987-1988. He posted double-digit scoring eleven times, including a double-double in a against Grambling St. and a pair of seventeen-point performances against and .| 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
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, and fourth in the conference during conference play. McDonald's premier sophomore games included posting a career high in points in a over in-state rival New Mexico State, a 15-point performance in a over 25th-ranked Cal, and a 25-point outburst in a over Air Force. At season's end, McDonald's work was rewarded, as he was named Honorable Mention All-Mountain West.| 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
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. While it slightly hindered him, McDonald still soldiered through the season. In a versus New Mexico State, McDonald pulled down his second career double-double, notching 18 points to go with 10 boards. In a 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 over TCU. His most celebrated junior moment came when New Mexico third-ranked BYU in Provo, as McDonald posted 26 points on 5-8 shooting from behind the arc.| 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
With the emergence of teammate Tony Snell as a legitimate all-around small forward and continual injury problems, 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 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% |