Jaden Bradley averaged 6.4 points per game, 2.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 37 games with 22 starts as a freshman at Alabama in 2022-23. Bradley transferred to Arizona in the 2023 portal, improved each season, was the 2025-26 Big XII Player of the Year and the Conference Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
North Carolina transfer point guard Derek Dixon and J.J. Mandaquit from Washington committed to Arizona on Monday after their freshmen seasons. There are a lot of similarities between Bradley, Dixon and Mandaquit when they entered the Transfer Portal.
Dixon averaged 6.5 PPG, 2.3 RPG and 2.7 APG in 33 games with 16 starts as a freshman for North Carolina in 2025-26. North Carolina elevated Dixon to a starter in the 18th game of the season, where he remained through the NCAA Tournament.
Dixon thrived in March, averaging 34.2 MPG, 13.2 PPG on 48.6 percent from the field, 60.0 percent on three-point attempts with 2.5 RPG, 3.2 APG and 1.2 steals. North Carolina finished 10-6 with Dixon as a starter. The Tar Heels lost their final three games of the 2025-26 season, leading to Hubert Davis getting fired.
Mandaquit provides quality depth
The projection is that Dixon is the starting Arizona starting PG in 2026-27 and Mandaquit is his primary backup. Mandaquit averaged 5.2 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 3.2 APG in 2025-26 playing in 22 games with 16 starts for Washington. Mandaquit suffered a season-ending injury and did not play in February or March.
Bradley was a five-star signee when he signed with Alabama and a McDonald's All-American in 2022 with a .9905 rating from 247Sports. Dixon earned a 0.9822 rating from 247Sports and Mandaquit 0.9786 as four-star prospects in the 2025 class.
Dixon and Mandaquit are the latest transfer guards under Tommy Lloyd in his fifth portal cycle with Arizona. Among the others are Caleb Love, the 2023-24 Pac-12 Player of the Year, Courtney Ramey, a key starter in 2022-23 and Anthony Dell'Orso in the last two seasons.
Add us as a preferred source on Google