sulted with my family, my coaches
and our doctors, and decided the
best option now is to have surgery.
"This was a difficult decision to
make because I want to be out there
"We want Mitch to be 100 percent
healthy again. He has worked very
hard over the last few months and
during his earlier rehab. He was
making progress in practice and
with my teammates. At the same
time, I need to be healthy to give everything I can on the court and help
my team."
The surgery proved to be a success,
Beilein reported Jan. 7, and McGary
was expected back in class two days
later.
Once a fixture on the sidelines
cheering his teammates on in a sharp
suit, McGary has since been noticeably absent — not unexpected,
Beilein noted.
"As all the doctors get together and
think about rehab, that's No. 1 [compared to traveling with the team]," he
said. "Think about the stress on the
back when you're sitting in planes …
games; however, lately he began to
experience the same pain he had
when we held him out of preseason
practice this fall. Our first priority is
Mitch's overall health even though I
am certain he would rather be back
on the court right now."
THE EXPECTATION
IS FOR THE POSITION
His teammates, too, would also
love to have him on the court.
Though never 100 percent, McGary
averaged 9.5 points and 8.3 rebounds
in eight games (four starts), playing
24.6 minutes per game. He shot 54.5
percent from the floor and was the
catalyst on many fast breaks with his