It’s been nearly 20 months since Ian Jackson committed to North Carolina, cementing one of the Tar Heels’ best classes (he joined Drake Powell, Elliot Cadeau and James Brown in UNC’s 2024 class at the time) of the last couple decades.
Since then, there’s been a declined NIT appearance from UNC, a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, an ACC regular-season title, the entire Carolina careers of Cormac Ryan, Paxson Wojcik, and San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Ingram, and Marcus Paige’s addition to the basketball staff.
What there hasn’t been, however, is another high school commitment. It’s a seemingly unprecedented drought that would’ve been crippling for most of college basketball’s history. But things just aren’t the same – the portal exists as a stopgap for high school recruiting misses and players, with more leverage than ever, are being methodical in their recruitments and decisions.
Several early 2025 targets have already come off the board, including guards Darryn Peterson, Jasper Johnson, Isiah Harwell, and Cayden Boozer, forward Cam Boozer, and center Eric Reibe. But with a bevy of active offers remaining, there’s still plenty of time for Carolina to secure a quality 2025 class (see the 2025 UNC Recruiting Board).
That work begins on Friday, the first of five-straight weekends with scheduled official visits in Chapel Hill. That work begins with Washington (DC) Gonzaga College High School guard Derek Dixon and Studio City (Calif.) Harvard-Westlake School forward Nik Khamenia.
Derek Dixon
UNC’s pursuit of Dixon began after his strong showing at the EYBL stop in Indianapolis this past May. In control, smooth, and a dangerous shooter, Dixon’s poise caught the eye of UNC assistants Jeff Lebo and Brad Frederick. Not even 48 hours after the event ended, Dixon was on the phone with Hubert Davis for the first time, learning he had an offer from the Tar Heels.
Ranked the No. 60 player in the senior class by 247Sports, Dixon narrowed his school list to six in July – Arizona, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Virginia, and Vanderbilt. He took junior year official visits to Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Virginia, was at Vanderbilt last weekend, and closes out his schedule with Arizona next week. Dixon told Inside Carolina in July that he plans to announce his decision on his 18th birthday – Sept. 27.
Dixon on UNC
“It’s incredible to be recruited by a school like that (UNC) – a blue blood, one of the top programs in college basketball. They (UNC) told me they’re going to need guards because RJ Davis is graduating and Elliot (Cadeau) could go to the NBA. (Hubert Davis) said they have guard spots open so they’re focusing on versatile guards like me who can play on and off the ball, guys who can play together.”
Coach’s Take
“Derek is multidimensional and defensively he can guard his yard… that means he can play anywhere in the country. What’s good about his game is he has really good pace. He can play fast, slow, or intermediate paces, but he just doesn’t get sped up. (We’re) going to push him to be even better … we need Derek to push the break and put pressure on teams. That’s where I’ll have him trying to grow even more.” – Gonzaga College High School head coach Steve Turner
Scout’s Take
“Whoever gets him will win a lot of games with him. He’s really efficient when he runs point guard, and he’s a guard who plays within himself. He’s exceptionally skilled and knows how to play with others. He has a winning approach to the game, he’s strong, makes open shots, and is very team oriented. He’s not the five-star guy, but just has the winning effect on teams.” – 247Sports national recruiting analyst Brandon Jenkins
Nik Khamenia
The seeds for North Carolina’s recruitment of Khamenia were planted in the spring of 2023. His former teammate and St. John’s sophomore Brady Dunlap unexpectedly picked up an offer from Davis and the Tar Heels, who were in need of shooting depth. During their scout of Dunlap, it was hard not to notice the tough-minded, do-everything, 6-foot-8 forward playing alongside him.
Though the Tar Heels wouldn’t offer until May 2024 – a full year later – it had done leg work with assistants Sean May and Frederick taking in multiple Harvard-Westlake games across the country. It led to UNC being included in Khamenia’s final school list, joining Arizona, Duke, Gonzaga, and UCLA. He visited Gonzaga as a junior, and was at Arizona last weekend. He’s scheduled to be in Durham beginning Sept. 13, and at UCLA on Oct. 4.
Ranked the No. 28 overall prospect in the class by 247Sports (and the No. 9 power forward), Khamenia told 247Sports’ Jenkins that he’s aiming to make a college announcement in mid-October. The last high school players the Tar Heels signed from the Golden State were twin brothers David and Travis Wear, 15 years ago.
Khamenia on UNC
“They started recruiting me during the early part of my junior year. Building that relationship with Sean May, Hubert Davis, and Brad Frederick has been good. Coach Davis and their assistants have been to a couple of my games. They continue to call and text me to build the relationship. I feel comfortable with their staff. It is easy to talk to them. They are looking for skilled guys like me and plan on using me to my strengths.”
Coach’s Take
“(Nik’s) a Swiss army knife. (He’s) very good at all three levels… needs to improve his lateral speed, but he will get there. More than capable defensively — we felt like he did an incredible job on (2025 forward) Koa Peat, (2025 forward) Cameron Boozer, and (Rutgers freshman forward) Ace Bailey. Those are three, incredibly highly-touted guys that he’s more than held his own against, and contributed at a high level. He’s incredible in the mid-range, but also very good coming off screens and making decisions on ball screens.” – Harvard-Westlake head coach Dave Rebibo
Scout’s Take
“He plays a game that is built around skill, toughness, and competitive fire. Offensively, he is a capable jump shooter with range to the three-point line. He loves to operate in the high post where he can make jumpers, attack off the dribble or do a nice job of finding cutters with crisp passes.”- 247Sports national recruiting director Eric Bossi
