Derek Dixon Cites Important Factor in North Carolina's Win Saturday

The North Carolina Tar Heels defeated the Syracuse Orange 77-64 on Saturday, bouncing back from a 24-point loss on Tuesday night against North Carolina State.

While speaking with the media during his postgame availability, guard Derek Dixon spoke on what was the driving force in the Tar Heels taking over and reflected on his own performance.

Dixon's Thoughts

Feb 21, 2026; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange guard J.J. Starling (2) drives against North Carolina Tar Heels guard Seth Trimble (7) during the second half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

"We had a timeout where we really just decided we were going to lock in defensively," Dixon said. "We came out of it with a lot more energy. I think Seth [Trimble] got in the gap and stole [the ball], got a breakaway dunk, gave us some energy and we just kept building off that and getting stops."

Trimble was influential in the second half, scoring all 13 of his points in the final 20 minutes of the game. Dixon discussed the senior guard's influence on the team throughout the season. Additionally, the freshman guard spoke on Henri Veesaar's impact as the season has progressed.

"Yeah, he's big for us. That's the captain," Dixon said. "We all build off his energy. It's both ends defensively and offensively. At halftime, we all challenged him, 'You got to be better', 'We need you'. He stepped up to it and it was great to see."

Feb 21, 2026; Syracuse, New York, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jonathan Powell (11) and center Henri Veesaar (13) react during the second half against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

"Yeah, Henri [Veesaar] is a great player," Dixon said. "When he is out there, he's doing great thing for us and he is really big for us. Obviously, it's great to have him out there and great with all that he brings, but we're ready to play every night."

Rebounding has been labeled as the key to North Carolina's success by head coach Hubert Davis. Dixon explained how the whole team raised to the challenge set by the 55-year-old head coach.

"I think we did a better job of it tonight," Dixon said. "Seth [Trimble] had a lot of big [rebounds] late in the game. Luka [Bogavac] was crashing [the glass]. It's good to get everybody on the boards. We all have to pitch in and do our part and crash the glass."

Feb 21, 2026; Syracuse, New York, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Zayden High (1) reacts during the second half against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Dixon has been struggling with his shot in recent games, and has worked with assistant coach Marcus Paige, who is a former player for the Tar Heels. The 6-foot-5 guard discussed the relationship with his coach and how their production in their freshman years are nearly identical.

"Working with [Marcus Paige] every day gives me a lot of confidence," Dixon said. "I have a lot of confidence myself and just getting the reps up and knowing that when I'm out there, I can trust my work. No matter if the shots are falling, I always think the next one's going in."

"Yeah, I just think the similarities between us," Dixon said of Paige's similar experiences. "We were actually talking about it a couple days ago. He went back after the North Carolina State and looked at his freshman year numbers, and they were almost the exact same as mine. So, that gave me a lot of confidence just to know he was able to accomplish all those things even with his freshman year and not shooting the ball the best, which I'm not doing right now."

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