Consensus-Top 50 2025 prospect Derek Dixon announced today that he will not be headed to Tucson for his official visit with the Arizona Wildcats this upcoming weekend (Sept. 14-16), per Travis Branham of 247Sports. Dixon has been busy visiting schools recently for the past two weekends, and the meeting with Arizona would be his third straight campus visit.
Arizona is the most recent team to offer Dixon, doing so on July 16, 2024. Still, the Wildcats were among the six teams slated to receive an official visit from the 6-3 combo guard. With Arizona’s virtual elimination, Dixon is now down to UNC, Pitt, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, and Virginia.
“On Thursday, Dixon canceled his official visit to Arizona for the weekend, making an update ahead of a decision in the coming weeks,” Zach Pearson of Sports Illustrated believes. “That’s great news for the programs that have received a visit and, most notably, North Carolina in this recruitment.”
Top-50 Basketball Recruit Cancels Upcoming Official Visit To Big 12 Program, How Does It Affect His College List?
Dixon was in Chapel Hill for a visit with UNC on September 6 and Vanderbilt on Labor Day weekend (August 30). He was at Syracuse for an official visit last October and made the trek to Pitt and Virginia in April.
Dixon is considered one of the top shooters in the country. He has a nice, smooth, flowing release. He is a big lead guard with strong handles and the ability to run the offense.
Here is On3 Jaime Shaw’s scouting report on Dixon:
“Derek Dixon has a consistently smooth release that he is comfortable getting into off movement, the catch, or stepping into it. Dixon takes care of possessions as a lead guard, moving the ball around and getting it where it needs to go within the flow of the offense. He has a strong frame and good size, but his shooting opens up a lot for him, especially off-ball rotations.”
The Washington (D.C.) native is ranked 49th by On3 composite with a 94.51 rating. While all four major recruiting services give him four stars, his highest official ranking is No. 51, and his lowest is No. 71.
Dixon’s Recruiting
Dixon has 22 offers in total, over a dozen of which are from East Coast schools. UNC was among the last schools to offer Dixon and receive a visit. Meanwhile, Pitt and Virginia each received two campus visits (one official and one unofficial). Those three programs reportedly have the inside tract, per Shaw.
The two programs I am hearing the most about, coming out of the UNC visit, are Pittsburgh and UNC. I am told that both visits checked all the necessary boxes and sources say currently carry momentum. Virginia is the other school I hear being mentioned in the mix.
Dixon is slated to make his college choice on September 27. Here are his remaining five schools and his thoughts.
North Carolina Tar Heels
North Carolina offered Dixon in May and visited the Chapel Hill campus on September 6. The Tar Heels, who are making Dixon a priority, have yet to secure a commitment from a member of the 2025 class, though they have been finalists for quite a few prospects.
“My visit was really good,” Dixon told Joe Tipton of On3. “All the guys on the team were cool and fun to be around. The facilities were impressive, and the coaching staff was great. It was a really good experience and I learned a lot about the program and how they see me fitting there. Coach Davis is a super positive and genuine guy and I can see why his players like to play for him. Marcus Paige is a new addition to the staff that is super beneficial for guards there because of his experiences and knowledge, having played at the highest level recently. The whole staff was great. They definitely showed me that the fit was there and the need was there which was a big thing I was looking for going into the visit.”
Pitt Panthers
Pitt was the second Power-5 program to offer Dixon, and it did so in October 2022. He took an unofficial visit before receiving the scholarship and an official visit on April 12, 2024.
“They have been recruiting me the longest and I’ve built a great relationship with their coaching staff. They have that program moving in a positive direction and think I can step in and keep moving it forward.”
Pitt received its first commitment from the class of 2025 yesterday, as DC native Omari Witherspoon committed on September 11.
Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia offered Dixon in June 2023. He took an unofficial to Charlottesville in November and then an official on April 20. The Cavaliers do not have a commitment for 2025.
“I took a visit there in the spring and have built a great relationship with coach Williford and coach [Tony] Bennett. They have taken guys like me and improved them to get to the next level.”
Vanderbilt Commodores
Vanderbilt offered Dixon in June 2023, and he made an official visit to Nashville on August 30.
“Coach [Mark] Byington has high hopes for the program and has been watching me since he was at JMU. Vanderbilt is a top academic university and is a high level sports program and ever since the new staff arrived they’ve been recruiting me hard.”
Jaylon Dean-Vines is the lone 2025 commitment for Vanderbilt.
Syracuse Orange
Syracuse offered him in June 2023. He took an official visit to the upstate New York campus last October.
“They have recruited also been recruiting me for a long time and consistently stress that they need to recruit good guards to get the program back to where it once was. Coach [Adrian] Autry and I have a great relationship as well as Coach Straughn and they both have a vision for the program and for me to achieve that.”
The Orange have one commitment from 2025 in top-25 prospect Saddiq White.
