UNC's McDonald lights up the Bahamas with 25 points (we think)

UNC sophomore Leslie McDonald scored 25 points in only 17 minutes to help the Tar Heels to a 123-86 victory over the Bahamas All-Stars last night.

The official stats in the Bahamas games are suspect however as some journalists on hand say McDonald scored 20 - still a good number for a guy who got the ninth most minutes on the team last year.

Similarly, freshman Harrison Barnes was credited officially with 23 points but others on hand say he scored 28. Officially, Reggie Bullock added 17 points, Henson had 16 points and a team-high 15 rebounds, Tyler Zeller chipped in 14 points in only 15 minutes and Dexter Strickland scored 10.

It's a good thing the Tar Heels have a little depth as they fouled enough for the Bahamas to shoot 56 free throws.

Carolina shot 55.6 percent (45-81) from the field, 50 percent (10-20) three pointers, and 69.7 percent (23-33) from the free throw line.

While McDonald's big scoring night is a bit of a surprise, it really shouldn't be. McDonald did score only three points a game last year and shot only 31 percent from the floor but he was just a freshman and he did have a couple of big scoring games. He came to the Tar Heels as the all-time leading scorer in Memphis private school history and he won Player of the Year honors in Tennessee as a high school senior. The 6-foot-4 guard also was fourth team Parade All-American as a senior.

Scoring shouldn't be the problem it was last year with guys like McDonald having another year under their belts and freshmen sensations Barnes and Bullock in the fold.

The Tar Heels returned to Chapel Hill today and won't be seen in public as a team again until Late Night with Roy in October.