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North Carolina guard Derek Dixon plans to enter NCAA transfer portal

Barkley-Truaxby: Barkley Truax04/06/26BarkleyTruax

North Carolina guard Derek Dixon plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, per On3’s Joe Tipton. His decision comes after former coach Hubert Davis was let go by the program and amid news that they intend to hire former Nuggets coach Michael Malone.

Dixon appeared in 33 games for the Tar Heels this past season as a true freshman, making 16 starts. He averaged 6.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. The Vienna, VA native was a 39.7% 3-point shooter and a 81.8% free throw shooter.

He played 41 minutes during UNC’s loss to VCU in overtime during the NCAA Tournament. He scored 11 points, logged six assists and recorded five rebounds per game for the Tar heels during the loss. It would turn out to be his final game as a Tar Heel if he doesn’t decide to come back.

Dixon appeared to be playing his best basketball down the stretch, too. In the final game of the regular season, he scored a career-high 17 points against Duke on 5-8 shooting from the 3-point line. He followed that up with a 16-point performance in the ACC Tournament loss to Clemson as well.

Before committing to North Carolina, Dixon was a four-star recruit according to the Rivals Industry Rankings, which is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He was the No. 43 player in his class and No. 4 overall combo guard.

During his senior season at Gonzaga College HS (Washington, D.C.), he was named the 2025 Gatorade Player of the Year for the District of Columbia. Dixon averaged 14.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game en route to leading his team to a 2025 DC State Athletic Association Class AA state championship.

He made 80 3-pointers in 34 games on a 38.5% clip as well, earning him a sharpshooter reputation that carried over the Carolina. Now, he’ll seek a new home in college basketball heading into his sophomore season.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.