Before the season started, Marcus Paige was expected to be in the running for ACC Player of the Year, and possibly a Wooden Award finalist.
So far it hasn’t exactly gone as planned, but heading into their game against No. 3 Virginia Saturday, Paige says he has no issues with that.
“My team is in first place and my best friend and teammate is doing exactly what everyone thought I was going to do,” Paige said. “It’s been a fun ride even though it definitely hasn’t been the way I thought it would be.”
Brice Johnson has emerged as the team’s number one scoring option with 17 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, a far cry from four years ago, when coach Roy Williams said there were questions about whether Johnson could take being a Tar Heel.
Roy Williams and Brice Johnson. (Photo by Todd Melet)
“I told you this before,” Williams said. “Joe Holladay (former UNC assistant coach) thought he would go home after the first day of fall conditioning.”
But Johnson didn’t go home.
Now after years of telling Johnson what to do, Paige is finding he has less to say to his best friend, who has 17 double doubles this season, including a 39 point, 23 rebound game against Florida State.
“I mean honestly what can I say to him,” Paige said. “He’s been a man in a lot of these games. Really big time performances. A lot of things I would say to him I have to remind myself to do.”
Williams on the other hand, still wants to see more from his star forward.
“I still get so mad at him because I want more,” he said. “I push him to get more and more and more.”
Williams benched Johnson shortly after the start of the game Wednesday night at NC State.
“I would’ve taken him out after one defensive possession but I couldn’t get the clock stopped,” he said. “But then he comes back in and has 22 (points) and 11 (rebounds). He’s come a long, long way.”
The Tar Heels are going to lean on him once again when they travel to take on Virginia Saturday.
The Cavaliers have the top ranked defense in the country, so UNC will need every point they can get from Brice Johnson.
Make sure to tune in to UNC Health Care’s Countdown to Tipoff, starting at 5:00 p.m. Saturday evening.
Related Stories
‹
Chansky's Notebook: Similarities?Art Chansky compares the situations of UNC head coaches Bill Belichick and Hubert Davis, noting expectations are high for both.
UNC Men's Basketball Finalizes Roster, Jersey Numbers for 2025-26 SeasonHead coach Hubert Davis and the UNC men’s basketball program have finalized the team’s roster and jersey numbers ahead of the 2025-26 season. The Tar Heels bring in numerous newcomers between freshmen and transfers after losing all five of their year-end starters from the 2024-25 season. The squad is set ‼️ 🔗 https://t.co/58XUN10ZNl pic.twitter.com/GvWO19lPgH — […]
5-Star Prospect Kate Harpring Commits to UNC Women's BasketballCourtney Banghart and the Tar Heels may have just won their biggest recruiting battle ever. Point guard Kate Harpring, a five-star prospect from Atlanta ranked among the top five players in the 2026 recruiting class on every major board, committed to Banghart and UNC Saturday. Go Tar Heels!! 🩵🩵#committed pic.twitter.com/RbzpiYqJOZ — Kate Harpring (@Kate_Harpring26) August […]
Chansky's Notebook: Pro ProspectsFormer UNC stars R.J. Davis and Caleb Love are both trying to earn their way into the NBA, where the pair have signed two-way contracts.
UNC's Tyler Hansbrough to Deliver Keynote Address at New Student ConvocationUNC men's basketball legend Tyler Hansbrough will deliver the keynote address at the university's New Student Convocation later this month.
UNC Women's Basketball Announces Full 2025-26 Non-Conference ScheduleThe UNC women’s basketball team announced its full slate of non-conference games for the 2025-26 regular season Tuesday morning. The wait is over… Our Non-Conference schedule is 𝙎𝙀𝙏 📅 pic.twitter.com/8fp72vNR9Q — Carolina Women's Basketball (@uncwbb) August 5, 2025 UNC begins with a preseason exhibition game against 2025 national runners-up South Carolina in Atlanta on October […]
Chansky's Notebook: 5 and 75Art Chansky celebrates the legacy of former UNC men's basketball head coach Roy Williams, who turned 75 last Friday.
High Point Transfer Ivan Matlekovic Commits to UNC Men's BasketballHead coach Hubert Davis earned a late commitment out of the transfer portal Thursday night, as High Point forward Ivan Matlekovic committed to Davis and the Tar Heels. NEWS: North Carolina has landed a commitment from 6-foot-11 High Point transfer Ivan Matlekovic, his agents @WEAVE tell @On3sports. The Croatian big man adds frontcourt depth for […]
Here's a List of Every Transfer to Join the UNC Men's Basketball Program This Offseason (2025)Several transfers have announced their intentions to join head coach Hubert Davis and UNC next season. Here’s a list of those incoming players: Ivan Matlekovic – High Point A seven-footer originally from Croatia, Matlekovic played in just five games during his only season with High Point. He joined the Tar Heels late in the offseason, […]
UNC Women's Basketball to Compete in WBCA Challenge in Las VegasHead coach Courtney Banghart and the Tar Heels are heading out west early in the 2025-26 season. UNC will compete in the inaugural Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Challenge in Las Vegas this coming November, facing UCLA and Fairfield. The games will be played at Michelob ULTRA Arena, home of the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, with […]
›
