FORT MYERS—As he began his postgame remarks on the Tar Heel Sports Network after Carolina’s 85-70 win over St. Bonaventure, Hubert Davis ran through all the Tar Heel box score standouts.
He mentioned Henri Veesaar, who set new career highs in both points (24) and rebounds (13). He saluted Caleb Wilson, who after a couple postgame box score corrections scored 18 points (including 10-for-10 from the free throw line) to go with his 12 rebounds and became the first freshman in Carolina history to record four straight double-doubles.
Then Davis paused. “I want to mention someone,” he said on the THSN, “who really won us the game, and that’s Derek Dixon. Kyan got into foul trouble and got four fouls. The game could really go either way at that point.
We were up, but they made a run on us in the first half. Derek settled us with his decision making and his scoring. He hit a big three in the corner. He played huge minutes, and to have that type of production off the bench is really big.”
There’s a lot to dissect in that quote. First, Davis taking time to single out Dixon is a direct descendant of his former head coach.
Without a doubt, at some point during Davis’ UNC career, the sweet-shooting Davis lit up an opponent for multiple three-pointers and was the game’s leading scorer.
Then, in the postgame press conference, Dean Smith began with, “I was really impressed with the screens Brian Reese set to get Hubert free.
“So Davis of course wanted to note Veesaar and Wilson, who are giving the Tar Heels a formidable post duo. But he also wanted to provide a little boost for his freshman.
That’s partially because his comments would have been very unlikely at halftime, when Dixon and all the Tar Heel reserves had a very rough half.
Dixon was a team-worst -9 in his six minutes and generally looked tentative while recording one turnover and zero assists, points, or field goals attempted.
That was part of a stretch when St. Bonaventure wiped away a 24-14 UNC lead with a 14-4 run that largely came with multiple Carolina reserves on the court. The Bonnies eventually made it a two-point game at halftime.
Davis was correct when he said the game was still undecided with 13:01 remaining when Kyan Evans picked up his fourth foul on a silly reach-in over 25 feet from the basket.
At that moment, the Heels had a 13-point lead, not much more than they’d had in the first half and with more time left than the Bonnies had used for their first half run.
Dixon immediately set about changing the game. He hit a couple of free throws to push the lead to 15. Then, after St. Bonaventure closed the gap to ten, he drained a three-pointer, and then converted a layup.
In the entire first half, Carolina’s bench had scored three points. In a 2:43 segment of the second half, Dixon alone scored seven. He finished the half with three assists (the box score shorted him one) and zero turnovers in nine minutes.
“As a team in the first half we got a lead but then let them get back into it,” Dixon said on the THSN.
“Some of that was on the bench, because we weren’t good enough. In the second half we made a concerted effort to not let that happen and grow the lead.”
That’s a very mature, astute statement.
Carolina’s starting five is playing extremely well. With all five starters on the court Tuesday night, the Tar Heels outscored St.
Bonaventure 44-28. If you’re handy with math, you’ve already realized that means the Bonnies outscored the Heels when any UNC reserve was on the court.
Especially in the absence of Seth Trimble—whose return will push one of those five to the bench and thereby strengthen the reserve corps—Davis is searching to find any reserve who can, at worst, keep the game steady.
Dixon did exactly that—and more—on Tuesday.
“In the second half I wasn’t thinking as much,” Dixon said. “I was letting my instincts take over and just playing basketball.
The next progression for me is getting to that point all the time, not worrying about mistakes and staying confident.”As Davis pointed out, Tuesday was just Dixon’s sixth college game. He’s not supposed to have it all figured out just yet.
That’s why he’s quick to find a seat next to Marcus Paige when he comes out of the game, the better to soak in the constant stream of knowledge from one of the best Tar Heel guards to ever play the position.
Tonight, it was a full half in which Dixon displayed the progress he’s made. Soon, it might be an entire game.
Which will lead to even more mentions from the head coach.
