By R.L. Bynum
Derek Dixon plans to enter the transfer portal, he announced Monday in an Instagram post, but left open the possibility that he could return to Carolina for his sophomore season.
During his freshman season at UNC, Dixon started 16 of 33 games, averaging 6.5 points, 2.7 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game.
“I’ve decided to enter the transfer portal with the option to return to UNC,” Dixon said in the post. “I want to thank everyone who has helped me get here and I’m excited to see what the future holds.”
The transfer portal opens on Tuesday,
He scored season-highs of 17 points and five 3-pointers in the Tar Heels’ 76–61 regular-season loss at Duke and had a huge late step-back 3-pointer in the 67–64 victory on Dec. 2 at Kentucky.
He was a four-star recruit out of high school and the No. 43 player in the Class of 2025 out of Gonzaga College High School in Washington, earning 2025 Gatorade Player of the Year honors.
After making 38.5% of his 3-point attempts in high school, Dixon connected on 39.7% last season for the Tar Heels.
He took over as the starter at point guard from junior Kyan Evans for the California game on Jan. 17 and stayed in the starting lineup for the rest of the season.
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Roster assuming all players with eligibility other than Caleb Wilson, Isaiah Denis, Derek Dixon and Jaydon Young return, and the players in the incoming freshman class hold in their commitment, which would put UNC two under the 15-player limit. The class for next season is listed.
| No./ Stars | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Freshman | Dylan Mingo | CG | 6–5 | 190 |
| 5 | Freshman | Maximo Adams | SF | 6–7 | 205 |
| 4 | Freshman | Malloy Smith | CG | 6–5 | 190 |
| 40 | Junior | Ivan Matlekovic | 5 | 7–0 | 255 |
| 11 | Junior | Jonathan Powell | G | 6–6 | 190 |
| 2 | Junior | James Brown | 5 | 6–10 | 240 |
| 1 | Junior | Zayden High | 4 | 6–10 | 230 |
| 44 | Senior | Luca Bogavac | W | 6–6 | 215 |
| 13 | RS senior | Henri Veesaar | 5 | 7–0 | 225 |
| 0 | Senior | Kyan Evans | PG | 6–2 | 175 |
| 15 | Senior | Jarin Stevenson | 4 | 6–10 | 215 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 25 | Junior | John Holbrook | 4 | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Senior | Evan Smith | 2 | 6–1 | 195 |
Entering transfer portal
| Player | Class next season | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isaiah Denis | Sophomore | G | 6–4 | 180 |
| Derek Dixon | Sophomore | G | 6–5 | 200 |
| Jaydon Young | Senior | G | 6–4 | 200 |
Key offseason dates
Tuesday — Transfer portal opens
April 16 — Deadline to request evaluation from the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee
11:59 p.m. April 21 — Transfer portal closes
11:59 p.m. April 26 — NBA early entry deadline
May 8–10 — G-League Combine in Chicago
May 10 — NBA Draft Lottery
May 10–17 — NBA Draft Combine in Chicago
May 27 (11:59 p.m.) — NCAA early-entry withdrawal deadline
Week of June 22 (date to be determined) — NBA Draft
Photo via @UNC_Basketball
