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GW’s Joe McDonald undergoes hip surgery

McDonald

George Washington posted a 24-win record this season and made the NCAA tournament, the first time the program has accomplished both feats (a 20-plus win season and a postseason appearance) since 2006-07, and while Mike Lonergan’s resuscitation of George Washington is impressive, what is more interesting is that the team reached both goals with significant injury concerns. Kethan Savage was lost for more than a month with a foot injury -- though he returned for GW’s games against VCU and Memphis, he played just one minute in both tilts -- and Patricio Garino missed time at the beginning of the season, not to mention the lingering hip injury that plagued guard Joe McDonald.

According to the school, McDonald underwent surgery on his hip today and is expected to be fully recovered for the start of the 2014-15 season. Even with what must have undoubtedly been a painful Atlantic 10 slate, McDonald still managed to average roughly nine points per game and post an assist rate that hovered near 30 percent.

I spoke to Lonergan earlier this year, and he mentioned that the team couldn’t truly practice during conference play: fear of another Colonial stepping on a foot, or tweaking some body part, kept the team from fully practicing. There simply weren’t enough bodies for the coaching staff to lose another player. Even though GW loses both Maurice Creek and Isaiah Armwood next season, a completely healthy team, along with a celebrated recruiting class, could guarantee GW remains near, or atop, the A10 preseason rankings this October.

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