The North Carolina Tar Heels are no stranger to signing high-profile basketball recruits – just look at what they did in their 2024 recruiting class.
On Wednesday, UNC officially added two recruits to its roster, nabbing the first two pieces of its 2025 recruiting class.
Davidson Day School’s Isaiah Denis and Gonzaga College High School’s Derek Dixon, a pair of 4-star combo guards who should step into major roles for North Carolina during the 2025-2026 college basketball season, officially signed to continue their basketball careers in Chapel Hill.
Denis and Dixon aren’t too far removed from their initial commitments. Dixon committed to the Tar Heels on Friday, Sept. 27, while Denis committed on Saturday, Nov. 2.
At 6’5, I see Denis playing a role similar to current UNC freshman Drake Powell. Denis can either run the point or play shooting guard, but also has the height to play the 3-spot – if UNC head coach Hubert Davis elects for a smaller starting lineup.
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Dixon is a bit shorter at 6’3″, so I see him being exclusively a point guard or shooting guard. Dixon’s recruiting profile points to him being a solid perimeter shooter, so in the best case scenario, he produces at a high clip like reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis.
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The Tar Heels aren’t anywhere close to being done yet in the class of 2025, as they’re chasing the likes of top recruits Caleb Wilson and AJ Dybantsa. Plenty of high school kids are still undecided – and with Hubert Davis’ track record on the recruiting trail, expect several additional high school stars to choose North Carolina as their college basketball destination.
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