Top-ranked North Carolina has lost senior guard Marcus Paige to a broken right hand for three to four weeks.
The school announced Paige’s injury Wednesday, saying the preseason Atlantic Coast Conference co-player of the year broke a bone in his non-shooting hand during Tuesday’s practice.
Paige, a 6-foot-2 guard from Marion, Iowa, has missed one game through his first three seasons. But the recovery time would sideline him for next Friday’s opener against Temple in Annapolis, Maryland, and several games beyond – possibly including his homecoming game at Northern Iowa on Nov. 21.
A roughly four-week absence would have him close to returning for the big Dec. 1 matchup with No. 3 Maryland in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
Paige has led UNC in scoring in each of the past two seasons. Team spokesman Steve Kirschner said in an email that Paige won’t require surgery to repair the injury, which came a day after the Tar Heels were voted No. 1 in the Top 25 preseason poll for a record ninth time.