Marcus Paige’s Senior Day Speech Makes Us Iowa Proud [Watch]

Even though he didn't go to Iowa and play for the Hawkeyes, the Corridor turned out a terrific young man in Marcus Paige. He struggled to get through a Senior Night speech Monday evening in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He got emotional, and so did his head coach.

Marcus mentions mom and dad, his girlfriend, the fans, his teammates, coaches and especially head coach Roy Williams. You watch it and you see "genuine." It reminded me of something else.

I once called a high school game in which Marcus Paige put on an offensive display for Linn-Mar that you rarely see at any level. After struggling in the first half that night, he scored and scored and scored. His game was a tale of two halves but you know what didn't change? The way he acted. Very calm, collected, and not cocky when he caught and stayed on fire. His demeanor would've fit very well on the Iowa roster. Iowa's loss was definitely North Carolina's gain.

Congratulations Marcus, on a terrific career. You make us Iowa proud... especially here in Marion and Cedar Rapids.