Cypress Springs grad out for Lobos opener

An injury suffered during the New Mexico Lobos exhibition blowout over Division III Manchester last Saturday will sideline former Cypress Springs standout guard Phillip McDonald for at least the first two games of the season.

McDonald injured his right elbow in a fall during the 107-62 victory but kept playing.

An MRI on Tuesday revealed McDonald has a partially torn ligament in his right elbow and will miss at least the first two games of the season against Detroit and Arizona State at The Pit on Nov. 13 and 16.

If the injury endures and surgery becomes necessary, New Mexico coach Steve Alford has hinted that McDonald should be able to medical redshirt.

McDonald has started all 68 games he has played in at New Mexico and was a highly recruited prep recruit coming out of Cypress Springs.

The 6-foot, 5-inch, 200-pound guard was district MVP his senior year at Cypress Springs and averaged 19 points per game, leading the Panthers to a 32-7 record.

Rivals.com ranked him as one of the top 100 players in the country and the top shooting guard signee in the Mountain West Conference (MWC).

McDonald averaged 10.4 points per game as a sophomore last season and was an All-Mountain West Conference honorable mention selection.

He led the Lobos, making 43 percent of his three-point attempts and ranked fourth in the MWC for the category.