By R.L. Bynum
On Friday, the day he turned 18, four-star sharpshooting combo guard Derek Dixon became Coach Hubert Davis’ first Class of 2025 commitment, making the announcement at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C.
Dixon, a 6–3, 215-pound rising senior at Gonzaga, is 51st in the Class of 2025. Dixon made his official UNC visit Sept. 6–8 after Davis offered him a scholarship on May 20.
“Coach Davis, just spending time with him on a visit, talking over the phone, you can just see how genuine of a person that he is, and you know how he’s a great person to spend time with and learn from,” Dixon said on the 247 YouTube channel when he announced his commitment. “The rest of the staff, I felt the love. I felt a priority for them, which is something that was really big for me, and I felt like I fit what they were doing. And there was an opportunity for me there.”
Although Virginia, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Vanderbilt were also finalists, he reportedly had it down to UNC and Pitt. He would have been the highest-ranked player to commit to the Panthers under Coach Jeff Capel.
“They’re getting someone who’s a winner, who’s going to compete at the highest level,” said Dixon, explaining to Tar Heels fans who they are getting. “He’s done it for the last four years of his life. He’s just gonna work every day, and he’s someone who’s versatile, play with or without the ball in his hands, a great teammate, the type of guy other people want to play with, and that guy’s gonna win a lot of games there.”
ESPN’s Paul Biancardi wrote that Dixon is among the top 10 shooters in the class. Here’s what he said about Dixon:
“Dixon’s special IQ helps him get open for quality looks,” Biancardi wrote. “His handle and passing are both solid point-guard attributes, but his scoring ability is his calling card. He shot 39% overall from [3-point range] this summer. Dixon’s strong combination of movement 3s (37%) and pull-up 3s (44%) opens eyes, and he’s super-effective from mid-range as well (44%). He has made himself into one of the most consistent and dependable offensive players in the country.”
Here’s what Dixon told 247 Sports about Carolina last week:
“They offered me earlier this summer,” he said. “They’re a great, prestigious program that consistently wins a lot of games and are ranked in the Top 25. I’ve developed a good relationship with Coach Davis and Coach [Jeff] Lebo, and they’re preaching they need a replacement for RJ Davis and potentially Elliot Cadeau if he goes pro.”
Playing for Team Takeover during the EYBL season last summer, Dixon averaged a team-high 15 points and three rebounds while shooting 43% from the floor and 91% of his free-throw attempts.
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| No. | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Freshman | Maximo Adams (MAX-ih-mo) | F | 6–7 | 220 |
| 30 | Freshman | Malloy Smith | G | 6–5 | 180 |
| 21 | Freshman | Sayon Keita (SIGH-on KAY-tuh) | C | 7–0 | 205 |
| 5 | Freshman | Kevin Thomas | W | 6–6 | 205 |
| 35 | Sophomore | Cade Bennerman — U | C | 7–0 | 205 |
| 17 | Sophomore | Neo Avdalas — W (NEE-oh ahv-DOLL-lus) | G | 6–9 | 220 |
| 2 | Sophomore | Isaiah Denis | G | 6–4 | 185 |
| 3 | Sophomore | Matt Able — X | G | 6–5 | 200 |
| 22 | Junior | Alexandros Samodurov (Alex-ANN-drose SAH-muh-DUHR-off) | C | 6–11 | 225 |
| 1 | Senior | Terrence Brown — Y | G | 6–3 | 180 |
| 4 | Senior | Jaydon Young (JAY-din) | G | 6–4 | 200 |
| 15 | Senior | Jarin Stevenson (JARE-in) | F | 6–10 | 220 |
| 14 | Graduate | Angelo Brizzi — Z (BRIZZ-ee) | G | 6–3 | 200 |
| 54 | Graduate | Cameron Fens — V (Fenz) | C | 7–0 | 255 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 99 | Junior | John Holbrook — SA | F | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Senior | Evan Smith | G | 6–1 | 200 |
V — South Dakota transfer; U — Northwestern transfer; W — Virginia Tech transfer; X — N.C. State transfer; Y — Utah transfer; Z — Buffalo transfer; SA — Holbrook is a designated student-athlete, so he doesn’t count against UNC’s 15-player limit.
Coach Michael Malone’s coaching staff — Associate head coach Chuck Martin; assistant coaches Bryan Tibaldi (tih-BALL-dee), Sean May, Jorge Sanz (HOR-hey sahnth), Pat Sullivan and Brandon Robinson; Director of player development Deon Thompson.
Players who entered transfer portal
| Player | Class next season | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Bogavac | Senior | W | 6–6 | 215 | Oklahoma State |
| James Brown | Senior | C | 6–10 | 240 | Howard |
| Derek Dixon | Sophomore | G | 6–5 | 200 | Arizona |
| Kyan Evans | Senior | G | 6–2 | 175 | Minnesota |
| Zayden High | Junior | C | 6–10 | 230 | South Florida |
| Jonathan Powell | Junior | G | 6–6 | 190 | Pittsburgh |
| Ivan Matlekovic | Junior | C | 7–0 | 255 | Pacific |
UNC schedule
| Date | Month/day | Opponent/event (final ranks) |
|---|---|---|
| October | Exhibitions | |
| 9 | 7 p.m. Friday | vs. USC in Greensboro |
| 18 | 5 p.m. Sunday | vs. Indiana in Indianapolis |
| 27 | Tuesday | vs. Charlotte |
| November | Regular season | |
| 2 | Monday | vs. Western Carolina |
| 6 | Friday | vs. Wofford |
| 10 | Tuesday | vs. Wyoming |
| 13 | Friday | vs. Georgia |
| 20 | Friday | vs. Marshall |
| 23 | Monday | vs. Monmouth |
| 27 | Friday, 7 p.m. | Dick Vitale Invitational vs. West Virginia in Charlotte |
| December | ||
| 1 | Tuesday | ACC/SEC Challenge vs. No. 13 Arkansas |
| 6 | Sunday | vs. Butler |
| 12 | Saturday afternoon | at Georgetown |
| 15 | 7 p.m. Tuesday | Tobacco Road Classic vs. N.C. State in Greensboro |
| 19 | 2:30 Saturday, CBS | CBS Sports Classic vs. Kentucky in New York |
| 21 | Monday | vs. The Citadel |
| 30 | Wednesday | vs. California |
| January | ||
| 2 | Saturday | at Boston College |
| 5 | 7 p.m. Tuesday | at Louisville |
| 9 | Saturday | vs. N.C. State |
| 13 | Wednesday | at Florida State |
| 16 | Saturday | vs. Stanford |
| 19 | Tuesday | vs. No. 17 Virginia |
| 23 | Saturday | at Syracuse |
| 26 | Tuesday | vs. SMU |
| 30 | Saturday | Nashville Hoops Showdown vs. No. 5 Illinois in Nashville, Tenn. |
| February | ||
| 2 | Tuesday | at Notre Dame |
| 6 | Saturday | vs. Georgia Tech |
| 8 | Monday, 7 p.m, ESPN | vs. Louisville |
| 13 | Saturday | at No. 4 Duke |
| 20 | Saturday | at Wake Forest |
| 22 | Monday, 7 p.m, ESPN | vs. No. 24 Miami |
| 27 | Saturday | at Virginia Tech |
| March | ||
| 2 | Tuesday | at Pittsburgh |
| 6 | Saturday | vs. No. 4 Duke |
| 9–13 | Tues.-Sat. | ACC tournament in Greensboro |
Photo via @DerskDixon03l
