Arizona Lands Top Transfers Dixon and Mandaquit

Wildcats add two talented freshman guards from North Carolina and Washington

Apr. 14, 2026 at 12:09pm

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A cubist, geometric painting in bold blue, red, and yellow tones, depicting fragmented and overlapping shapes representing the dynamic movement and energy of a basketball game or match.Arizona's new backcourt duo of transfers JJ Mandaquit and Derek Dixon will bring a dynamic playmaking and shooting presence to complement the Wildcats' talented incoming freshman class.Chapel Hill Today

Arizona basketball coach Tommy Lloyd has landed two high-profile transfer commitments in freshman guards JJ Mandaquit from Washington and Derek Dixon from North Carolina. Mandaquit, who played with incoming Arizona star Caleb Holt on the gold medal-winning USA Basketball U19 team last summer, averaged 5.2 points per game for the Huskies. Dixon started 16 games as a freshman at North Carolina, averaging 6.5 points and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 39.7% from 3-point range.

Why it matters

These two transfer additions give Arizona a major boost in the backcourt, surrounding star freshman Caleb Holt with two experienced facilitators who can help run the offense. Mandaquit's prior experience playing for Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd on the USA Basketball team should help him integrate quickly, while Dixon provides an outside shooting threat after finishing second on the Tar Heels in 3-pointers made last season.

The details

Mandaquit, a 6-foot-1, 196-pound guard, played in 22 games with 6 starts for Washington last season, averaging 5.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Dixon, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound guard, started 16 of 33 games for North Carolina as a freshman, putting up 6.5 points, 2.7 assists and 2.3 rebounds per contest while shooting 39.7% from 3-point range.

  • Mandaquit and Dixon committed to Arizona on April 13, 2026.
  • Dixon started 16 games as a freshman at North Carolina during the 2025-26 season.

The players

JJ Mandaquit

A 6-foot-1, 196-pound freshman guard who played last season at the University of Washington, averaging 5.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Mandaquit previously played for Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd on the gold medal-winning USA Basketball U19 team.

Derek Dixon

A 6-foot-5, 200-pound freshman guard who started 16 of 33 games for the University of North Carolina last season, averaging 6.5 points, 2.7 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game while shooting 39.7% from 3-point range.

Tommy Lloyd

The head coach of the University of Arizona men's basketball team, who landed commitments from transfers Mandaquit and Dixon to bolster his backcourt.

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The takeaway

Arizona has reloaded its backcourt with two talented transfers in Mandaquit and Dixon, giving coach Tommy Lloyd additional playmaking and shooting to complement star freshman Caleb Holt. The Wildcats' roster is shaping up to be one of the most promising in the Pac-12 next season.