McDonald already holds the record for most 3-pointers in Concordia University at Austin school history (236)— and will use the 08-09 basketball season to cement his legacy by scoring more points than anyone in American Southwest Conference history.

We caught up with McDonald before the season started to give us some insite into how homeschooling helped him prepare for life in college.

How did homeschooling help prepare you for college?
Homeschool helped prepare me for college with many time management skills. Since homeschooling is having to sit down and do the work, it was not a big transition for me to have to find the time to do homework or write papers because that is what I had been doing my entire life. From an athletes standpoint, I had spent most of my high school career practicing on my own driveway by myself, and that is how u get better in anything you do is practice and willing to be on the driveway or when I went to college in a gym for hours at a time to get better for success.

What was your favorite homeschool sports memory?
My favorite homeschool sports memory is winning the state championship my senior year. Beating HCYA in the Semi’s and then S.A. Patriots in the finals made it even sweeter because they had been two teams who had always been the teams who had stopped my teams in the previous State and National Tournaments from advancing.
What advise would you give other homeschoolers who dream of playing sports in college?
I would tell them it is very possible even though other people around you may tell you that the only way to play college is by going to school. That is not a true statement, I would say work hard on your game and try to get on a well-known select team in the summer. Being homeschooled won’t stop you from playing college, not working hard will.

What advise would you give homeschoolers in choosing a college and planning for their first year on campus?
To find a place you feel comfortable with, college is extremely different from anything that one will encounter previously. So if that means staying close to home and friends one might have to do that. And for freshman, I would tell them to be very active early in on-campus functions because the more people you know makes the college experience a lot easier.

Describe a typical day in the life of Joel McDonald?
A normal day really depends on what day you catch me, MWF wake up at 540 for 630 morning practice and weights, followed by work from 930-330, then its back to school where I am a t.a. at school til 5...then to the trainers room for treatment for practice at 615...get home around 930 to eat dinner and study..on T R just substitue work with class all day from 930-6. To be a college athlete you have to realize you will not have much free-time at all during the season, and time-management is crucial for staying on top of homework.

How do you handle the pressure of playing college basketball/going for a conference scoring record?
The most pressure I have is what I put on myself to succeed and do well for the team. Every game is an experience I will never get back, and I always try to play as if it will be my last game so there is pressure, but that is pressure I like to embrace. As far as the scoring record, I don’t think about it because if I did I would be putting myself above my 17 teammates and I’m not about to do that. The number one goal is winning a conference championship, and every game will have that pressure behind it, but once you get out there and start playing the pressure subsides.

Who/what gives you the motivation to get to where you are?
The motivation I had growing up was to play college basketball, and be better than my older brothers who played college basketball. Since I accomplished that in high school haha...the motivation I have now is to always show everyone who said in high school because I was homeschooled that I wasn’t that good because people thought I was playing inferior competition. This always made me laugh because about 90% of my high school schedule was against public schools. I just have always remembered that so every game I feel like i’m still playing for respect.

Favorite pre-game meal?
We eat at Jason’s Deli before every home game so I would have to say this grilled chicken wrap with chipolte sauce, it helps get my jumper where it needs to be.

Favorite sports player growing up?
My favorite sports player growing up was Penny Hardaway he was so good back in the day, and I used to collect all his basketball cards.