UNC Basketball Point Guard Leans Toward Big 12 Program

Derek Dixon appears increasingly likely to leave North Carolina, according to a 247Sports Crystal Ball projection. The prediction has him headed to Arizona after he entered the transfer portal on April 6.

New head coach Mike Malone is leading retention efforts. The staff prioritized the six Tar Heels who entered the portal after Hubert Davis was fired.

Transfer outlook

247Sports’ Crystal Ball projects Dixon to the Arizona Wildcats. Arizona is coming off its first Final Four appearance since 2001. The Wildcats recruited Dixon aggressively after he entered the portal on April 6.

If he departs, he would be the second Tar Heel to leave. Jonathan Powell committed to Pittsburgh on April 11. The developments have fed talk that UNC Basketball Point Guard Leans Toward Big 12 Program.

On-court impact

Carolina initially turned to Kyan Evans to run the offense, letting Dixon develop off the bench. Evans’ inconsistency pushed coach Hubert Davis to reconsider the backcourt rotation.

A former Gonzaga Prep standout from the DMV, Dixon seized the starting job midseason. He steadied the team in a road comeback at Kentucky on Dec. 2. He scored a then-career-high 14 points versus Georgetown on Dec. 7.

Dixon further solidified his role with 11 points and seven assists in an upset at Virginia on Jan. 24. That game marked a turning point after a 2-3 start in ACC play.

He averaged 6.5 points, 2.7 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 33 games, including 16 starts. He shot 81.8 percent at the free-throw line.

Filmogaz.com will monitor the situation and report updates. Recruiting and transfer news could change the roster picture quickly.