However, the team suffered a blow Wednesday as they learned that their superstar point guard Marcus Paige will be out for the first 3-4 weeks of the 2015-16 college basketball season due to a fractured finger on his non-shooting hand. He led the Tar Heels in scoring each of the past two seasons.
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Paige’s surprise return to school is a key reason for the optimism in Chapel Hill.
The oft-injured but brilliantly talented Paige was injured during practice on Tuesday, according to the team. I know he’ll handle this with the same level of maturity that he does everything else.
Paige has been a standout for UNC on the court and off, and he was selected as the ACC’s co-preseason player of the year last week during the conference’s annual media day. The injury also means he will likely miss a homecoming game scheduled at Northern Iowa in November. You have to believe he does not want to miss that game at all.
“Our team will certainly be challenged in (Paige’s) absence”, Williams said in a statement.
Paige, who is left-handed, averaged 14.1 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.9 rebounds last season for the Tar Heels, who come into this season with the No. 1 overall ranking. He has missed only one during his first three seasons – a victory during his freshman season against UAB when Paige rested a strained shoulder.
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For others who believe in the glass being half full, this is an opportunity for Joel Berry and Nate Britt to get a few major minutes running the show. He has connected on 225 three-point field goals and needs only nine to become UNC’s all-time three-point leader.
