Gonzaga’s Derek Dixon ready for UNC basketball as his stellar high school career winds down

Four-year varsity star and elite shooter aims for DCSAA title before joining the Tar Heels

Derek Dixon, a North Carolina commit and a four-year starter at Gonzaga College (D.C.), is one of the stars that makes the Purple Eagles a national power in boys basketball. / Derek Dixon Instagram

Derek Dixon is a 6-foot-3 combo guard and senior for Gonzaga College High School’s boys basketball team. He has also been on varsity all four years at the school, receiving local attention.

“It’s been great,” said Dixon. “Growing up going to the WCAC games, seeing the top competition, top players in that league, and getting to be there one day. Being here and getting this opportunity has been great.”

Dixon has also learned from Gonzaga’s head coach Stephen Turner, who has led the Eagles basketball team since 2004, and was previously an assistant coach for them.

“His knowledge, his experience in the game, the people he knows, the connections that he has are all great,” said Dixon. “Just being able to learn from him every day on and off the court has been really good for me.

“It’s not hard when you’ve got a guy who’s willing to put in the hard work, continuing to grow in the game every single day,” said Turner. “In his four years, his maturity just continues to blossom. I would tell people right now, ‘You still haven’t even seen the best of him.’ But we’ve been blessed to have a guy like him who plays with such maturity. I liken him to being a guy that has a great “next play” mentality. He’s very even-keeled. He’s never too high, and never too low.”

As a freshman, Dixon got to learn from a couple older teammates who went on to play at the next level: Devin Dinkins, who currently plays for Manhattan’s basketball team, and Jared Turner, son of Coach Stephen, who currently plays at Northeastern.

“Throughout my four years, it’s been different each year,” said Dixon. “My role coming in as a freshman, didn’t really play that much. But I got to learn from a couple great seniors who went on to play at the next level. The next year I stepped into a bigger role, and took what I learned and put it on the court, and from there it’s just been growth.”

While playing at Gonzaga, Dixon gets to compete against some of the best high school basketball programs in the D.C. area, including DeMatha Catholic, St. John’s College, and Sidwell Friends.

“It’s always great to play against the best players,” said Dixon. “WCAC is one of the best conferences in the country, and DMV basketball is the highest it gets in the country. You just want to test yourself against guys like these each and every day, and that’s how you get better.”

Derek was born on September 27th, 2006. He grew up and currently lives in Vienna, Virginia. His father John works in sales, while his mother Kari is a physical therapist. Derek also has an older sister named Kayla.

“[Basketball] has always been a part of my life,” said Dixon. “Since I was two years old, shooting on the mini hoops, and stuff like that. Mainly it’s my dad and his love for the game, when he went to go play with his old man league on Saturday mornings, taking me to the gym with him to shoot on the other court or watch. It just grew from there.”

Growing up, Dixon played in the Vienna Youth league (VYI), as well as county basketball for Vienna and McLean, and then a lot of AAU basketball.

Dixon’s basketball idols include Devin Booker, who he tries to model his game after, Stephen Curry, for his incredible shooting ability, and Kobe Bryant, for the work ethic and mentality he brought to the game.

“I feel like our games have a lot of similarities,” Dixon said about Booker. “I try and take things from his game.”

As for club basketball, Dixon has played in Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League for Team Takeover, one of the most prestigious organizations with multiple championships.

“Going in there every day, they expect the highest level of competition and winning,” said Dixon. “They hold you to a super high standard, because that’s what they’re used to. That really pushed me these last two summers to just get as much as I can out of it, and really learn about that standard of winning.”

Dixon is also known as one of the top high school basketball recruits in the DMV, but the Gonzaga senior doesn’t pay much attention. “I try to block it out,” said Dixon. “Just keep my head down and keep the work the same no matter where I’m ranked. I don’t really pay attention to the rankings that much, and try to be myself.”

With the Eagles currently 23-3 in the 2024-25 season, Dixon hopes to end his senior year with a DCSAA title. “That’s definitely the goal,” said Dixon. “It’s something I’ve wanted to do all my four years here. It’s my last chance, last go-around, so I’ve got to make it happen.”

Back on September 27th, 2024, Dixon announced that he committed to playing basketball at the University of North Carolina, where he will learn under head coach Hubert Davis.

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“[I loved] the family feel of it,” said Dixon. “Coach [Hubert] Davis, spending time with him and the way he’s genuine and family-oriented. The opportunity was there for me to get on the court early. And the stage can’t really be duplicated. It’s going to be super exciting.”

UNC is obviously known for its rich basketball history, with notable names like Michael Jordan, Roy Williams, and Dean Smith. “Just going in and learning, being open,” said Dixon. “Those guys with experience, all the coaches who have played there before, learning about what they did, the standard that UNC has, and then going in and working every day to be the best version of myself.”

Coach Turner also approved of Dixon’s UNC decision, offering a lot of high praise. “I don’t think there was anywhere in the country that Derek couldn’t play with his abilities,” said Turner. “I believe he’s the best shooter in the country, regardless of class, and the way that the game is being played now, that’s a superpower. There are most teams in the country that need guys like him.”

Dixon also hopes to play in the NBA someday, but will focus on college in the meantime. “It’s obviously been a dream since I was a little kid,” said Dixon. “Watching the NBA, watching college basketball. Being able to play in that stage next year is going to be super exciting. Just try and take it one day at a time, live in the present, and see where it takes me.”