Alternate headline: UNC's injury woes are so bad, they are affecting guys on next year's team.
Carolina basketball recruit Marcus Paige was forced to withdraw from the Nike Hoop Summit this week after injuring his foot. Paige was to play for the USA Junior National Select team against a World Select team on Saturday in Portland, Oregon.
Paige, a point guard from Iowa, played in the McDonald's All-American game last week in Chicago, where he handed out seven assists to go with six points. Exactly how he hurt himself, how serious the injury is, and how long he will take to recover are all unknown, according to Brett Friedlander of the Wilmington Star-News.
UPDATE: Scout's Evan Daniels has confirmed on Twitter that Paige has a stress fracture in his left foot.
Not that Carolina fans need a grim reminder of the injury-prone 2012 season, but after losing sharpshooter Leslie McDonald, starter Dexter Strickland, and Cousy Award-winner Kendall Marshall to season-ending injuries, and having ACC Defensive Player of the Year John Henson severely limited in the post-season, the last thing they want to hear is a key injury to one of the guys who is expected to be a major contributor next season. Then again, given the way things went this year, maybe it's his way of saying, "I'm Marcus Paige, and I'm a Tar Heel."
Best wishes (and hopes) to Paige for a speedy recovery.