Once a Duke fan, then a Tar Heel, Derek Dixon happy to be an Arizona Wildcat

“It’s funny how life works,” Dixon said.

Not that he could be blamed, really. Arizona’s new combo guard, who transferred from Duke archrival North Carolina in the spring, simply tuned into what was on the family television.

The Dixons are based in Vienna, Virginia, outside Washington, D.C., and Duke was their team.

“My dad used to watch the games and I would watch them with him,” Dixon said. “They had all type of players, from Tyus Jones, Trey Jones, Jason Tatum. Every year there was pretty much a new guy. They were just fun to watch growing up.”

Still, when Dixon made a college decision entering the fall of his senior season at Washington’s Gonzaga Prep, he chose North Carolina over Vanderbilt, Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Virginia.

“It kind of is how it is,” Dixon said. “I just had to do what’s best for me.”

Dixon also considered Arizona and set up a visit late in September 2024. But he canceled it once he chose the Tar Heels and the chance to play for Hubert Davis, who had led UNC to the 2022 national title game (with the help of former UA guard Caleb Love) and to 29 wins and a Sweet 16 appearance in 2024.

For much of his freshman season in 2025-26, Dixon’s decision paid off. Playing with eventual 2026 NBA Draft lottery pick Caleb Wilson and former Arizona big man Henri Veesaar, Dixon eased his way into the Tar Heels’ rotation and took over as the starting point guard in mid-season.

And when he finally had a chance to visit Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium for its crazed rivalry game against North Carolina in the regular season finale, he poured it on: Dixon had 17 points, three assists and a steal while making 5 of 8 3-pointers he took.

Overall in North Carolina’s final three games, Dixon averaged 14.6 points and 3.7 assists while shooting 57.1% from 3-point range.

The problem was, the Tar Heels lost all three of those games — at Duke, to Clemson in the ACC Tournament and to VCU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. They threw away a 19-point lead with 15 minutes left against 11th-seeded VCU and lost in overtime.

Five days later, Davis was fired. And Dixon had to think about recruiting all over again.

“Coach Davis was a big part of me being there and building that relationship with him; it was tough to when they let him go,” Dixon said. “It threw a wrench in my plans.”

Dixon announced his intention to enter the transfer portal just before it opened two weeks later and, a week after that, was headed to Arizona.

“Everything works out like it’s supposed to,” Dixon said.

There was only one bump along the way. In an interview with Field of 68, Dixon said Arizona “had just kept up with me throughout the season,” leading to an SI.com story that suggested the UA staff may have been tampering (the story was headlined “Dixon reveals shocking Arizona commitment process.”)

But Dixon told the Star he meant only that the Arizona staff had watched him and kept up with his stats and that UA staffers never contacted him, his family or his agent before he entered the portal.

“When they called me and laid out what their vision was, they definitely shot up the list of schools that I was interested in,” Dixon said. “And I had that prior relationship with them from high school.”

After Dixon’s addition to the UA roster, Tommy Lloyd said he was a fan of Dixon’s at Gonzaga Prep, calling him a big guard who can play either guard spot.

Dixon could wind up starting at point guard, while sliding over to off guard when freshman Caleb Holt is on the bench or the Wildcats are playing small. At the least, he is expected to play a major reserve role at both guard spots alongside Holt and fellow transfer JJ Mandaquit.

“Derek and Caleb are so versatile,” Mandaquit said. “Especially Caleb. He can do everything, getting downhill and his shot is starting to take off. Derek can shoot the heck out of the ball. He can pass, he can play-make. So we’re really deep at the guard position. I just want to come in and do whatever it takes to help the team win, fill whatever gaps need to be filled.”

Dixon said he also will play anywhere coaches want him to, though he expects to play more often at the point. He arrived in early June to begin working with most of his new teammates, while the Wildcats were scheduled to take a break in the first three weeks of July before returning to prepare for their exhibition trip to Lithuania.

“I love it out here,” Dixon said. “I think the guys are really cool, a lot of good personalities, a mix of personalities. You can have fun with them, can be serious with them, can talk trash with them, you can do it all.

“Then the coaches have been really good for me. I think coach Tommy has been really beneficial for me, teaching all these different tips and tricks, and getting on the court with me. All the coaching staff have really kept their word on their vision for using me. Things are really good.”

Individually, Dixon said he’s worked with assistant coach TJ Benson on getting to the paint more often, making the right decisions when he does so, and on his defense.

Playing with his new backcourt mates tends to provide an education, too.

“It's great to play with great players. Caleb and JJ are two great players,” Dixon said. “Caleb’s energy is infectious. He brings it every day. He's competitive, which is good, but then he's also fun. … He's very coachable. That's one thing that I've seen in him that I think is big as a freshman, especially as highly touted as he is. He wants to learn, he wants to get better, and I think that's really important for us.

“JJ is another great player, a great passer, true point guard, and he's a winner. I think us three together, we're all winners. We’re not going to do anything selfish. We're going to do what's best for the team.”