By Eddy Landreth
Staff Writer
Leslie McDonald did not burst onto the scene with the instant stardom so many fans expect from highly recruited college basketball players these days.
The Tyler Hansbroughs and Harrison Barneses of the world are unique. McDonald’s path has been of the more common variety. Talented young men like McDonald can become excellent players as long as they don’t get caught in the trap of thinking it has to happen overnight and understand that some of the finest players to wear collegiate uniforms took some time to mature.
McDonald did just that, progressing nicely his first two seasons. There was every reason to believe he would take the next step forward this season.
Unfortunately, the steps he now will be taking will be taken gingerly. McDonald suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee during a summer-league game, delaying his growth for at least another year.
One thing I loved about McDonald from the start was his honesty. He was willing to say he felt confused and frustrated as a freshman. Then last season, he discussed in detail what he did during the off-season to try to improve. Pouting or feeling sorry for himself was not among those activities.
As a sophomore, he began to reveal the talent coach Roy Williams saw when he recruited McDonald out of Tennessee.
“I expect him to make it every time he shoots it,†Williams often said last season.
McDonald is a superb athlete. His ability to run the court and explode off the floor has become more evident with time.
McDonald made 51, or 38.1 percent, of his 134 three-point-shot attempts as a sophomore, while shooting slightly better on two-point attempts (35-89, 40 percent).
His logical next step would have been to become an even better defender and a more consistent shooter in 2011-12. McDonald’s knowledge of angles on defense and good shots to take on offense has improved greatly.
As a freshman, he watched as opponents drove by him with ease for baskets. The lack of patience and knowledge to get his feet set hurt him on offense.
Before that initial season ended though, he did learn to play harder. In a game at Wake Forest, he became one of the few players on that team to dive on the floor for loose balls. When McDonald went skidding across the court at Lawrence Joel Coliseum, fans just knew that, before his career ended, he was going to become a player.
Now he is at least a year away from showing what two years of improvement can mean. An ACL tear is no longer a career-ending injury, but it still requires a painful and lengthy rehabilitation. If the usual procedure is followed, McDonald’s physician will wait until the swelling subsides before performing surgery.
One sad part of the story is that no matter how hard his coaches and teammates work to make him feel a part of the team, an injured player sidelined for a lengthy period is almost always living in an athletic void. He is part of the team, but is isolated by the very nature of sitting on the bench in a suit at games and on the sideline at practice.
Nonetheless, there are long-term benefits in all of this for McDonald and the Tar Heels. When several of the team’s key players leave for the NBA after the 2012 season, McDonald should be healed and will have two seasons to play and lead his younger teammates.
A successful rehabilitation will equate to even greater maturity.
Next season’s team is destined to be one of the best in the nation. Being forced to sit and watch will be difficult for McDonald – but if he can make himself approach the season with a greater level of maturity, he can become a central figure in keeping the Tar Heels from slipping when they have to undergo another rebuilding year.
In the meantime, one person’s misfortune is another’s opportunity. In this case, freshman guard P.J. Hairston should be the benefactor of McDonald’s injury.
Part of McDonald’s role will be to mentor Hairston and help him overcome his transition from high school to college ball. McDonald could even help Hairston avoid some of the potholes that tripped McDonald that first season. This will be the best way for McDonald to stay engaged with his teammates. He can be a genuine asset if he is willing to avoid self-pity and use his experience to explain what he sees from the bench and at practice.
In the end, the results of our experiences are what we make of them.
