Over his first three years at UNC, Marcus Paige earned the nickname “Second Half Marcus” because of his propensity to score points when the Tar Heels needed it most.
But there were times this season, no matter the half, he just couldn’t get it going.
“Throughout the middle of the year I kind of let my shot halt the rest of my game,” he said. “I was too worried. Too much thinking about whether I was making field goals or what my percentage was and all that stuff.”
In a five game stretch this season, Paige shot 4-30 from three. And despite the fact that he’s had eight games this season shooting under 30% from the field, including three under 20%, his head coach Roy Williams said he still believes the ball is going in every time Paige pulls up for a shot.
Marcus Paige scored 21 points against Indiana. (Photo by Todd Melet)
“I think he handled it possible better than any player I’ve ever seen,” Williams said. “He’s a very analytical mind about how he’s playing and what his value is. He sees his value is everywhere, but we need the ball to go in the basket, it’s called a scoreboard.”
Paige has been in double figures every NCAA Tournament game, including having one his best games all year against Indiana, the highest seed the Tar Heels have faced so far.
He hit six three pointers, tying Shammond Williams for the most a Tar Heel has hit in an NCAA Tournament game and finished with a team-high 21 points.
Teammate Joel Berry said the rest of the Tar Heels weren’t surprised to see the Paige fans expected before the season.
“We know the Marcus that can hit shots,” Berry said. “Sooner or later you knew it was going to click and he did a great job of staying in the gym and getting up extra shots after practice.”
For a player that has been known for quiet first halves and second-half explosions, it seems only natural that he would return to form now, exactly when his team needs him most.
“We knew it was going to come,” Berry said. “It was just a matter of time.”
Related Stories
‹
UNC Men's Basketball to Host Arkansas, Women to Host LSU in 2026 ACC-SEC ChallengeThe matchups have been set for both the UNC men’s and women’s basketball programs in the upcoming ACC-SEC Challenge: the men will host Arkansas on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at the Smith Center, while the women will host LSU on Wednesday, Dec. 2 at Carmichael Arena. ACC/SEC challenge is set 🗓️ pic.twitter.com/AWzBSN1Cbv — Carolina Basketball (@UNC_Basketball) […]
Greek Prospect Alexandros Samodurov Commits to UNC Men's BasketballAnother international prospect is making his way to Chapel Hill. Alexandros Samodurov, who has played professionally in Greece since 2022, announced his commitment to head coach Michael Malone and UNC Saturday. Samodurov, a 6-foot-11 forward, has played his entire professional career with the Greek club Panathinaikos. The club has seen sustained success during his time […]
ACC Opponents Set for 2026-27 UNC Men's Basketball SeasonThe UNC men’s basketball program revealed its ACC opponents for the 2026-27 season. It will be the second since the league shifted from a 20-game schedule to an 18-game schedule. Like in 2025-26, the Tar Heels will play two opponents twice, 14 opponents once and not play one other league school at all during the […]
Matt Able Withdraws From NBA Draft, Will Play for UNC Men's Basketball Next SeasonMatt Able, who committed to UNC out of the transfer portal in April after playing his freshman season at NC State but also went through the NBA Draft Combine process, withdrew his name from the draft Monday. Able has already signed with the Tar Heels, meaning he is locked in to playing for the program […]
Report: UNC Men's Basketball Hiring Former Tar Heel Brandon Robinson to StaffAccording to a report from Inside Carolina, former UNC men’s basketball player Brandon Robinson is set to join head coach Michael Malone’s staff in Chapel Hill for the upcoming season. Robinson played four years in Chapel Hill and was a freshman on UNC’s 2016-17 national championship team. He played in 130 total games during his […]
Former LSU Signee Kevin Thomas Commits to UNC Men's BasketballKevin Thomas, a four-star recruit who initially signed with LSU but decommitted in March, has now committed to head coach Michael Malone and UNC. View this post on Instagram Thomas, a 6-foot-6 wing from Fort Lauderdale, FL, committed to and signed with LSU last fall. But following the Tigers’ firing of head coach Matt McMahon, […]
Freshmen, Transfers and More: Every Newcomer Joining UNC Men's Basketball for the 2026-27 SeasonAs Michael Malone embarks on his first season as the head coach of the UNC men’s basketball program, he’s gotten busy securing the additions of several newcomers to the program. Malone and his staff have mined from traditional high school recruiting and the transfer portal to fill out Carolina’s roster, and that work is continuing […]
Report: UNC Men's Basketball Hiring Bryan Tibaldi as Assistant CoachAccording to a report from Inside Carolina, Bryan Tibaldi, who spent the 2025-26 season as an assistant coach at Providence, will join head coach Michael Malone’s UNC staff in the same position. Prior to arriving at Providence, Tibaldi had spent several years in the Cleveland Cavaliers organization in the NBA. Cleveland initially hired Tibaldi as […]
Report: Former Tar Heel Deon Thompson to Join UNC Men's Basketball Coaching StaffAccording to a report from Inside Carolina Tuesday morning, former player Deon Thompson is set to join UNC men’s basketball head coach Michael Malone’s staff in Chapel Hill. Thompson was a four-year standout for the Tar Heels, appearing in 152 games, starting 113 and helping UNC win the 2009 national championship. Playing alongside Tyler Hansbrough […]
Multiple UNC Teams Post Perfect Academic Progress Rates, New Report SaysSeveral UNC sports programs posted perfect single-year and multi-year academic progress rates for the 2024-25 academic year, according to the NCAA’s latest report. Academic progress rate (APR) is used to track performance of scholarship students who compete on varsity teams, and the score measures eligibility and retention each semester. A perfect score is 1000, and […]
›
