Tar Heels G Marcus Paige out 3 to 4 weeks with broken hand

North Carolina guard Marcus Paige is out three to four weeks with a broken hand.

University of North Carolina guard Marcus Paige will miss three to four weeks with a broken hand, the school announced Wednesday.

Paige, a lefty, injured his right hand in practice, fracturing his third metacarpal. The Tar Heels open their regular season on Nov. 13.

Paige has missed only one game in his first three seasons with the Tar Heels. The senior has career averages of 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. In his junior year, while battling leg issues, Paige averaged 33.2 minutes per game and shot nearly 40% from three.

“I hate it for Marcus,” head coach Roy Williamssaid in a statement. “He’s such a wonderful young man – one of the most outstanding people I have been lucky to coach. I know he’ll handle this with the same level of maturity and responsibility that he does everything else.”

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Paige was selected Co-Preseason Player of the Year by the ACC media. The Tar Heels are ranked No. 1 in the first AP Poll of the season.