Syracuse Basketball: Top scout high on 4-star D.C. guard who just visited

In a recent post on X, top analyst/scout Colby Giacubeno described Syracuse basketball recruiting target Derek Dixon as, among other things, “a lethal sniper,” and I love that.

The 6-foot-4 Dixon, a 2025 four-star combo guard from the talent-rich Washington, D.C., market, was scheduled to officially visit the Orange this past weekend, and it was slated to be his first official visit. I sincerely hope that Derek’s trip to the Hill went smashingly!

As far as I can tell, Dixon has emerged as a priority recruit for the ‘Cuse coaching staff in the junior cycle. Not too long ago, the Orange coaching staff was in attendance for Dixon during an open gym at his high school.

Dixon is a standout at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C., a powerhouse group that is deemed by some high-school hoops experts as a preseason top-25 squad ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.

On the AAU circuit, Dixon suits up for one of the best programs nationwide, the Washington-based Team Takeover in Nike’s EYBL league. Orange coaches have strong ties to Team Takeover.

A top analyst/scout is high on Syracuse basketball 2025 four-star target Derek Dixon.

Giacubeno is arguably the top analyst/scout who covers recruiting in the D.C. to Baltimore corridor. In his recent post on X, he wrote of Dixon, “Derek Dixon’s playmaking improves w/ each viewing. Combine that w/ the fact that he’s a lethal sniper & you have a highly productive combo guard at the next level.”

Syracuse basketball coaches offered a scholarship to Dixon on June 15 of this year, which was the same day that college coaches in general could start initiating direct communication with 2025 high-school players.

Beyond the Orange, Dixon’s growing offer sheet includes teams such as Miami, Mississippi State, Virginia, Villanova, Xavier, Penn State, Maryland, Providence, Saint Joseph’s, Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh, Kansas State, Bryant, George Mason, Fordham, East Carolina and Norfolk State. By the way, Giacubeno noted on X that Dixon also recently took an unofficial visit to Pittsburgh.

It’s proven a busy few weeks for the ‘Cuse coaching staff on the recruiting trail. The fall recruiting period got underway in early September. Since then, Syracuse basketball coaches have welcomed numerous recruits to Central New York for visits, and the Orange coaching staff has also hit the road to watch a variety of targets during open gyms at their respective high schools.

This past weekend, besides Dixon, ‘Cuse 2024 commit Donnie Freeman from D.C., a four-star power forward, and Orange 2025 recruit Matthew Gilhool from Philadelphia, a four-star big man, were scheduled to officially visit Syracuse basketball as well.

When 247Sports recently updated its 2025 national rankings, Dixon checked in at No. 73 overall, No. 9 at combo guard and No. 2 in D.C.

At the time of this writing, the industry-generated 247Sports Composite had him at No. 78 nationally, No. 11 at combo guard and No. 3 in D.C. The industry-generated On3 Industry Ranking, meanwhile, rated Dixon at No. 86 nationwide, No. 5 at his position and No. 2 in our nation’s capital.