Arizona Basketball Makes Top Six of Talented Four-Star Guard

Tommy Lloyd and his coaching staff are trying to strike on the recruiting trail as Arizona was included in the top six of a 2025 guard.

July 17, 2024; North Augusta, S.C., USA; Team Takeover's Derek Dixon (3) shoots the ball as WhyNot's Tae Simmons (15) defends during the Team Takeover and WhyNot game at the Nike Peach Jam at Riverview Park Activities Center. Team Takeover won 64-62 / Katie Goodale / USA TODAY NETWORK

Since Tommy Lloyd has taken over as head coach of Arizona, this program has rapidly become one of the best in the country.

His 88-20 record with two conference titles in his first three seasons has gotten the Wildcats into national prominence once again, and with Caleb Love returning for his fifth year, they have their sights set on advancing past the Sweet 16.

With the Wildcats moving into the highly-competitive Big 12 conference, Lloyd and his staff will have to start putting together strong recruiting classes as they've yet to secure a Top 10 group during his tenure.

They're hoping to get off to a good start in 2025, and got some good news on that front when talented guard Derek Dixon included Arizona in his top six schools list.

NEWS: 2025 four-star guard Derek Dixon has cut his list to six schools, he tells @On3Recruits.

The Top-65 recruit discusses each of his finalists (On3+): https://t.co/CRLJAGm448 pic.twitter.com/xGPbxtvKsV

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) July 30, 2024

Others they will be competing with to land the four-star from Washington D.C. is North Carolina, Virginia, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and Vanderbilt.

"They've been one of my favorite teams to watch over the past few years and I could always see myself playing in their system. I've built a good relationship with their coaching stuff and they're very upfront and honest with me. I am taking a visit there in September," he told Joe Tipton of On3.

Dixon is ranked as the No. 58 player in the 2025 class per 247Sports' Composite.

The 6-foot-3 guard will be taking his first trip to Arizona in an official capacity on September 13. That will be the fifth school he's visited as he's already taken trips to Pittsburgh and Virginia back in April, and has an official visit to Vanderbilt on the books for August 30 and North Carolina on September 6.

On3's Recruiting Prediction Machine currently has it as an uphill battle for the Wildcats, giving them a 10.8 percent chance to land the coveted guard. Virginia is the leader at 22.8 percent, followed by Pittsburgh at 19.9 percent and North Carolina at 12.9.

The Wildcats have yet to land a commit in the 2025 cycle, but they have offers out to nine players, including three five-stars.