First Start Showed Flashes of Potential for Derek Dixon

Derek Dixon‘s approach to his first career start was no different than any other game this season. Perhaps that’s why he acquitted himself well when Hubert Davis handed him the keys to North Carolina’s offense last weekend.

“Nothing changes, just be me, be vocal, lead us, start the game and just go out there and hoop,” Dixon said after Saturday’s loss at Cal.

The freshman guard played 29 minutes and finished with 14 points — matching his career high — on 5-of-11 shooting (4-of-8 from three), along with three assists against two turnovers, plus a steal. Dixon was a plus-five in the loss.

The 29 minutes were a career high for Dixon, whose role has fluctuated throughout the season — playing as many as 27 minutes against Georgetown, but logging only 11 on Wednesday at Stanford.

Meanwhile, Kyan Evans — who had started North Carolina’s previous 17 games at point guard — played 11 minutes against the Golden Bears, his fewest of the season, hinting the potential for Saturday to be the proverbial passing of the torch.

Given the recent play of the two, a change felt inevitable, with Evans seemingly better suited to an off-the-ball role for the Tar Heels.

“I don’t make big deals out of starting lineups — I felt like it would be good for us to get some different rotations out there on the floor,” Davis said after the loss Saturday. “Overall, I thought Derek did a good job.”

Over UNC’s struggle-filled four game stretch, Dixon’s offensive ratings according to KenPom were 101, 78, 65 and 113. Evans, meanwhile, posted marks of 73, 76, 76 and 16.

Much like when he stole the show down the stretch against Kentucky — or set his career high against Georgetown — Dixon flashed his scoring ability again on Saturday.

With 10 seconds left in the first half and Cal guard Justin Pippen pressuring him the length of the floor, Dixon used a flurry of dribble moves to shake Pippen before finishing a right-handed layup at the buzzer.

With 4:15 left in the second half and three seconds on the shot clock, Dixon corralled a Jaydon Young bounce pass at his feet, pump-faked and stepped back into a contested right corner three over Cal’s Dai Dai Ames to cut UNC’s deficit to six.

Dixon’s three assists also offered glimpses of his ability to create, highlighted by a perfectly placed lob to Henri Veesaar over the top of Cal’s zone with 5:17 remaining — his most impressive dime of the night.

“He was very poised,” said Seth Trimble after the game. “He was very calm, cool, collected, he was incredible. Hit big time shots, made big time plays, and he’s only going to get better from here, but Derek was fantastic today.”

However, it certainly wasn’t perfect for the Vienna, Va., native, who had his share of freshman moments as well. Dixon finished with two turnovers, including an avoidable mistake on a second half fast break when his pass to Caleb Wilson was stolen instead of taking the layup himself.

It’s unclear who will start at point guard for North Carolina against Notre Dame on Wednesday — or across the rest of the season — but Dixon’s flashes of light on an otherwise dark Saturday in Berkeley seemed to warrant another go with the starting five.

“Just to see the maturity and the poise of Derek and being a freshman on the road, starting for the first time, I thought he did a really nice job, and I was really proud of him,” Davis said on his radio show Monday night.