Linn-Mar alum Marcus Paige returning to North Carolina, as member of coaching staff

Inside Carolina reported Wednesday that Linn-Mar High graduate Marcus Paige is expected to become the North Carolina men’s basketball program’s director of team and player development for head coach Hubert Davis.

Paige, 29, averaged 13.1 points over his 141-game career at North Carolina from 2012-2016. He was a first-team All-ACC honoree in 2014.

As a prep, he helped Linn-Mar to the 2011 Class 4A boys’ basketball state championship as a junior and averaged 28.8 points as a senior. He had a school-record 49 points in a game that season, and was voted Iowa’s Mr. Basketball.

He played in five games for the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets in 2018, then played professionally in Serbia, France, and last season in Spain.

Paige started in 139 games at North Carolina. He is the Tar Heels’ all-time leader in 3-pointers, in consecutive games making 3-pointers, and in 3-pointers made in the NCAA tourney.

Paige scored 21 points in North Carolina’s overtime loss to Villanova in the 2016 NCAA championship game. He made an off-balance 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds left in the second half to tie the contest, but Villanova’s Kris Jenkins sank a last-second 3 to win it for the Wildcats.