The 18 greatest UNC basketball players of the Roy Williams era
By Jordan Falls
No. 15: Marcus Paige
If this list were based on fan favorites, there would be an argument that Marcus Paige should be ranked number one. Paige is one of the most likable players from the Roy Williams era, on and off the court. He was also a great player.
When Kendall Marshall departed, Roy Williams handed the keys to the program over to Paige as a true freshman, and he never averaged less than 29 minutes per game. After his freshman season, he averaged double figures in points every season and became an extremely reliable go-to scorer for the Tar Heels.
Of course, the most memorable moment of his storied career ended with heartbreak during his senior season. With the Tar Heels trailing 70-64 in the 2016 National Championship with 1:35 to go, Paige did everything in his power to give Carolina a chance, scoring eight of the final ten points in the game, including his famous double-clutch three-pointer with 4.7 seconds to go.
During his four-year career in Chapel Hill, Paige racked up accolades and each year helped the UNC Basketball program improve on the season before, eventually getting to the Final Four in 2016. He was named ACC Most Improved Player in 2014, First-Team All-ACC in 2014, and Third Team All-ACC in 2015.
His No. 5 jersey is honored in the rafters of the Dean Smith Center as well for being named to the Second-Team All-American list in 2014 by the Sporting News.