Derek Dixon lived up to the hype in his 2024-25 high school season. The senior guard and future North Carolina Tar Heel helped lead Gonzaga to a 29-5 record, a District of Columbia Class AA State Championship, and a national ranking.

Dixon was also named the District of Columbia Catholic Athletic Conference Player of the Year in what is an absolute loaded conference when it comes to talent.

Gonzaga finished runner-up in the DCAC Tournament. They lost narrowly 58-54 to another top-20 national team, Paul VI. However, they rallied in the state tournament winning all three games. The climax came Monday night with a 67-51 victory over Sidwell Friends in Monday night's championship game.

Tar Heel Illustrated interviewed Dixon less than 48 hours later for the first time in the 2025 calendar year. We looked back on Gonzaga's play, and his contributions while moving ahead to what Tar Heel fans can expect when he arrives on campus in June.