What’s the one thing better than adding one point guard through the transfer portal? Adding two…in one day! Tommy Lloyd and the Wildcats appear to have found a two-part solution to replacing Big 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley. On Monday, former North Carolina point guard Derek Dixon announced he is transferring to Arizona with three years of eligibility remaining.
The 6-foot-5, 200-pound Dixon is a native of Vienna, Virginia and spent his prep career at Gonzaga College High School in Washington DC. The former four-star recruit and top-45 prospect in the 2025 recruiting class had Arizona as one of his top six schools a year ago and took an official visit to Tucson in the fall of 2024.
In his lone season in Chapel Hill, Dixon averaged 6.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists, while shooting 36.5 percent from the field. He appeared in 33 games and started the final 16 games of the season for the Tar Heels. With the increased playing time, Dixon saw his numbers improve across the board, averaging 8.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists.
Some of Dixon’s best play came against top competition this year, something he’ll see plenty of in the Big 12 next season, including a career-high 17 points against Duke in Durham, and the assist on Seth Trimble’s game-winning 3-pointer against the Blue Devils in Chapel Hill.
Derek Dixon now joins a reloaded back court for Arizona that will feature three new players in Caleb Holt, Washington transfer JJ Mandaquit, as well as himself. Holt figures to be the Wildcats’ primary scoring option next season, meaning Dixon and Mandaquit will work in tandem as ball handlers to facilitate the offense, although Dixon will likely start.
Keep up with all of Arizona Men’s Basketball’s transfer portal activity here.