Oh, how quickly things can change. It wasn't that long ago that North Carolina fans were dreaming of Arizona head man Tommy Lloyd taking over as head coach. Instead, he told the Tar Heels no thanks and Michael Malone was brought in. Now, Lloyd is getting a lot of attention in Chapel Hill, but not for the reason you would have thought.
Former NC State star taking shots at UNC for no reason is comical
While speaking on a podcast with Jeff Goodman, Dixon spoke about why making the move to Arizona was an easy one for him. However, he may have accidentally revealed some Arizona tampering was in play, as he said that the Wildcats had kept in contact with him throughout the season. Then once he entered the portal, it didn't take too long for him to pick 'Zona. Interesting timing maybe?
“They (Arizona) kept up with me throughout the season”
— UNC Zone (@unc_zone) May 27, 2026
Can’t argue against tampering because almost every school does it now and they’re rarely punished but it’s definitely a choice to admit it on a talk show 🤷♂️😅 pic.twitter.com/SCNQfYwg6k
UNC fans are not pleased with how Derek Dixon made the move to Arizona
What do you have to say for yourself, Mr. Lloyd? That's it, suspend him indefinitely and get recruiting violation penalties in the works ASAP! We're of course joking there, as tampering has unfortunately been going on forever and Lloyd surely isn't the only coach who has maintained a relationship with a player he previously recruited.
At the same time, Dixon had to know better. What kind of a message is being sent when a coach from a different powerhouse is checking in on a playmaker? Were Lloyd and his staff just working to stay in touch just in case Dixon decided to say goodbye to Chapel Hill? Who knows, but what we do know is that Dixon's latest comments sure have a lot of people a bit annoyed.
While Dixon wasn't a big-name player in the ACC this past season, he sure impressed as a freshman. On the year, the 6-5, 200-pounder averaged 6.5 points per game, while adding 2.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists. When he came off the bench for Hubert Davis, he really delivered when his number was called. However, once Davis was fired, he looked for a new home and Tucson came calling.
Fortunately for Carolina, Malone has been working overtime in the transfer portal himself and at guard alone, Terrence Brown and Matt Able are two players in particular that fans are fired up to see in action. Able just announced that he's going to delay his NBA dreams to play for the Heels next season, which is massive. That sure lessens the sting of losing Dixon, but this new development with Arizona just feels a bit off if you ask us.
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