C.L. Brown, ESPN Staff Writer 8y

Marcus Paige erases North Carolina's anxieties

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- No. 9 North Carolina started its season weeks ago, but the Tar Heels' campaign didn't truly begin until Marcus Paige rejoined the lineup in Tuesday night's 89-81 win over the No. 2 Maryland Terrapins. He's the difference between the Tar Heels believing they belong among the nation's top-ranked teams and knowing they can beat them.

In the six games the senior guard missed with a broken right wrist, the Tar Heels looked like every other talented-but-flawed team ranked in the top 10. With Paige back -- now playing with a thin protective pad -- they've found their equilibrium.

"I don't think I change the team to the point where it's a night-and-day difference," said Paige, who had a team-high 20 points and five assists. "But everyone is comfortable with me on the court. It's kind of a comfort zone for the team."

And the best thing for Carolina? He's finally feeling relaxed, too.

During Paige's first two seasons, he was thrust into roles he wasn't fully prepared to embrace. As a freshman, Paige had planned, with coach Roy Williams, to come off the bench to relieve Kendall Marshall at point guard. Paige could learn behind a veteran and ease into the demands of the position. But Marshall was one of four Heels who were first rounders in the 2012 NBA draft.

As a sophomore, Paige figured he'd be a good complement to P.J. Hairston, who Williams had touted as the best player in preseason. But Hairston ran afoul of NCAA regulations and lost his eligibility. Paige was the go-to player by default.

Paige became the unquestioned leader during his junior year, but sometimes it felt more like a burden. Those were the times when Paige felt he had to force things. If Carolina needed a big shot, he felt the pressure that came with trying to deliver it.

That's not the case anymore.

"I've felt that in the past with this team, but I don't feel that as much now -- I know it's just one game," Paige said. "I didn't feel like I needed to (take big shots). I just felt like I needed to be a presence on the court. To have the ball in my hands. Everyone else is kind of more relaxed that way. Whether it's me making a play or dishing it off to a teammate or just calling a set ... to get everybody calmed down."

Carolina has a tangible trust in Paige when the ball is in his hands.

The crowd of 20,000-plus in the Dean E. Smith Center believes every long-range shot Paige takes is destined for the net. His teammates, who may not always listen to one another, listen when Paige talks.

"He's like coach's right-hand man," junior forward Brice Johnson said. "Coach talks to him the most, and he knows everything that we need to do. He's our floor general, he's our leader. He knows what he's talking about when he tells us to do things."

Some Tar Heels will have their playing time affected by Paige's return, but Williams said they were not complaining about adjusting their roles. Sophomore Theo Pinson was bumped from the starting lineup to make way for Paige. Junior Nate Britt played a season-low 10 minutes against Maryland, and freshmen Kenny Williams didn't enter the game at all while Paige played 34 minutes in his season debut.

No one dares complain.

Paige has earned that trust by doing way more than just being a consistent outside shooter the past two seasons.

With Maryland trying for one last rally as Carolina started to pull away late, Paige retreated on defense with Melo Trimble and Rasheed Sulaimon running a 2-on-1 break.

"We made two silly plays in a row, and on the second one, Marcus Paige goes down and takes the charge," Williams said. "That's the kind of thing that we've been missing the last six games."

Paige is the difference between the Tar Heels looking at one another and having no answer during a 29-8 run in their loss at Northern Iowa, to looking at Paige and knowing the proper response will be delivered.

"With Marcus out there," sophomore guard Joel Berry said, "it just makes everything easy."

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