McDonald tears ACL, out indefinitely

The North Carolina basketball team will return all five starters from the 2010-11 campaign when it takes the court this fall, but an injury will likely keep one of the Tar Heels’ top reserves out of commission for much of the season.

Junior guard Leslie McDonald will be out indefinitely after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament July 14 during a North Carolina Pro-Am summer league game.

Although McDonald was not expected to be a starter in the Tar Heels’ 2011-12 season, his absence won’t likely go unnoticed.

In UNC’s 2010-11 campaign, McDonald averaged seven points per game and finished second on the team in 3-pointers with 51.

On Dec. 11, McDonald scored a career-high 17 points from the bench in the Tar Heels’ 96-91 win against Long Beach State.

“Leslie is a very viable member of the team,” NBA analyst Kenny Smith said. “He can do a lot of different things… so that’s going to hurt a lot. I think, though, that there are some guys that are patiently waiting to step in.”

Freshman P.J. Hairston will likely be one of the players waiting in the wings to inherit McDonald’s minutes.

The 6-foot-5 guard will be expected to perform off the bench during his first season in Chapel Hill, specifically when it comes to shooting from behind the arc.

Reggie Bullock could also help soften the blow caused by McDonald’s absence. The sophomore guard will return to the court this fall after recovering from a season-ending knee injury he sustained in February.

But no matter who fills McDonald’s shoes, the Tar Heels will be forced to place the utmost confidence in his replacements, as it could be a while before the injured guard sees the court again.

“It’s a long process when you have your ACL repaired,” head football athletic trainer Scott Trulock said.

“It’s essentially a knee reconstruction… anytime it happens, an athlete is going to be losing, if not the entire season, a big portion of the season.”

Depending on the extent of the specific injury, Trulock said the recovery time for athletes who have sustained an ACL tear is usually six to nine months.

Trulock, who treats one to three football players per season for ACL injuries, said medical treatments for the relatively common injury have advanced drastically in recent years.

But the injury is nonetheless debilitating. And with one of his own down for the count and a season full of high expectations creeping around the corner, coach Roy Williams couldn’t hide his disappointment.

“I just hate this for Leslie and his family,” Williams said in a press release. “He’s worked so hard this off-season and he told me he was really playing well.

“We’ll certainly support him as he works to get back on the floor, but we will miss his play on both ends of the court,” he said.

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.