Fansided

Ranking the top 30 UNC basketball players in program history

By Cooper Watson

CHAPEL HILL, NC - MARCH 7: Michael Jordan kisses former coach Dean Smith of the North Carolina Tar Heels during a halftime ceremony honoring the 1993 national championship team during a game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at the Dean Smith Center on March 7, 2007 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC - MARCH 7: Michael Jordan kisses former coach Dean Smith of the North Carolina Tar Heels during a halftime ceremony honoring the 1993 national championship team during a game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at the Dean Smith Center on March 7, 2007 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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HOUSTON, TX – APRIL 04: Marcus Paige #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels hits a three point to tie the game with seconds left during the NCAA College Basketball Tournament Championship game against the Villanova Wildcats at NRG Stadium on April 04, 2016 in Houston, Texas. The Wildcats won 77-74. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX – APRIL 04: Marcus Paige #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels hits a three point to tie the game with seconds left during the NCAA College Basketball Tournament Championship game against the Villanova Wildcats at NRG Stadium on April 04, 2016 in Houston, Texas. The Wildcats won 77-74. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

27. Marcus Paige (2012-16)

Marcus Paige hit one of the most iconic shots in NCAA Tournament history, only to be outdone by perhaps the most iconic shot from Villanova’s Kris Jenkins just moments later. Still, his career as one of the best point guards in the history of a program that has had its share of incredible point guards is unforgettable.

The sweet-shooting lefty averaged 17.5 PPG as a sophomore, earning him second-team All-American and first-team All-ACC honors. As a junior and senior his usage declined slightly due to the emergence of a stronger supporting cast, but Paige still averaged 14.1 and 12.6 PPG over his final two years. His senior season saw the Heels go 33-7 and make the National Championship game where he would hit that famous double-clutch shot right in front of Roy Williams and the Carolina bench.

Paige ranks eighth in program history in career assists, third in steals, and first in 3-pointers made.