With
This week, The Post looks at Drew Crabtree and Jaylin McDonald.
With the start of the season Saturday, it’s difficult to see Crabtree and McDonald vying for much playing time in 2016.
Last year the two saw their minutes mostly via platoon swap, with coach Saul Phillips subbing them in late during runaway games.
Yet when asked about their importance to the Bobcats’ overall program, Phillips wasn’t shy — saying the two would make “great employees someday.” A larger, much bigger picture Phillips likes to look at for his players.
“With Drew, if ‘deserve’ has anything to do with it, he would still be on scholarship. And I need that scholarship because we need to try and (recruit more players), ... but he’s done so much for this program,” Phillips said Friday. “It’s rare that a kid in his situation, who’s a walk-on and doesn’t see regular minutes, have such a leadership role within the team. Yet, he does.”
Phillips sentiment for McDonald was similar, if not the same, adding that McDonald’s dedication to school makes him a valuable asset to the Bobcats outside the basketball realm.
“Jaylin is a very intelligent engineering student who’ve I have heard talk about five times,” Phillips said. “Both those kids (Crabtree, McDonald) are a treat to be around, and that factors into it. I think both at different levels of basketball could be very good players, but they love going to school here, and I love having them around.”
Combined, Crabtree and McDonald have seen just 16 minutes of playing time. For context, point guard Jaaron Simmons has played 1,276 minutes.
But Friday, Phillips commended the two bench players for something that isn’t always easily handled by athletes: staying focused even when playing time is scarce.
“I would like nothing better than for both of those two to have a NCAA Tournament ring because guess what? When we get them, they’re going to be the same sizes as everyone else's, including mine,” Phillips said. “Both of them have earned it. It isn’t easy staying engaged every day in practice when you know the end result won’t result in huge minutes, but they manage to do it.”
