Photo courtesy Tim Rosenthaw
By: Morey Hershgordon
Over the past decade, Quinnipiac men’s basketball has produced talented big men. In fact, some of whom were the best to play college basketball in the Northeast. With Jamee Jackson, Ike Azotam and Ousmane Drame it’s safe to say head coach Tom Moore has found his niche.
However, 2016 has brought change. Moore focused on quite the opposite. This past fall, he landed six-foot-five guard Peter Kiss. He also landed do-it-all, combo-guard Mikey Dixon.
“Mikey has come a long way,” Stan Waterman, Dixon’s high school coach at the Sanford School (DE), said. “He really has developed. Every year he’s added something to his game. Right now, he’s a pretty prolific scorer. He scores at every level. He shoots the ball well.”
Dixon’s knack for scoring will tremendously improve Quinnipiac’s offense. Currently, the Bobcats are in the bottom 10 percent in the country in field goal percentage (36.6), points per game (66.2) and free throw percentage (63.1). That’s in large part due to graduating six players in 2015 and having seven new faces this year.
But, Waterman, a proven winner in the Mid-Atlantic region who’s coached plenty of Division I talent, knows Dixon has the edge already.
“I think Mikey plays well with the ball as well as without the ball. We’ve had Trevor Cooney and Deon Jones, and Khalid [Hart] and those guys are all doing well at the next level. But I don’t know if any of those guys were able to score the ball like Mikey does right now.”
That’s some pretty high praise. Cooney, who played in the 2013 Final Four, is a fifth-year shooting guard averaging 14 points for Syracuse. Jones, arguably Monmouth’s best all-around player, is averaging 10.4 points and seven rebounds per game. And Hart, who played alongside Chevaughn Lewis, Marist’s all-time leading scorer and the MAAC’s third all-time leading scorer, has filled his shoes with 22.8 points per game.
It’s just a few things, Waterman believes, that makes Dixon unique.
“Handling the ball, attacking the basket, and shooting it. Those are the things that separates him from everyone else.”
Dixon with his team after a win in the 17th Annual Kobe Bryant Floors USA Philly.Com/Rally Scholastic Play by Play Classic at Philadelphia University.
Now in its third year in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, Quinnipiac sees conference championship teams all have one thing in common: dominant guard play. In 2013, Iona had Sean Armand. In 2014, Manhattan had George Beamon and Michael Alvarado. In 2015, Manhattan had Rashawn Stores and Shane Richards. Hopefully, by 2020, Quinnipiac can say Mikey Dixon.
And all signs point that way.
“He’s averaging close to 30 points per game,” Waterman said. “Getting to the free throw line for 14 to 15 points. Attacking the rim and also shooting a pretty high percentage from the three point line.”
Dixon knows his statistics won’t be as high freshman year as they are this year, but watching a player like Abdulai Bundu, who averaged about 30 points his senior year of high school too, excites him for what is to come.
“Come in and be an impact player,” Dixon said. “That’s what coach Moore expects me to be. Play hard and just let everything else follow.”
While Dixon remains focused on senior year, he couldn’t help but talk about playing with dominant big men. He does it now at Sanford, and he’s looking forward to continuing it at Quinnipiac.
“There’s a lot of ways I can play with the [big men]. I can definitely play the two-man game. Pass it to them in the post and I’ll relocate in the corner. You can’t really lose me, because if you lose me and turn your back then I’ll slide to get open and shoot.”
Of course, professional basketball is the obvious, long-term goal. Dixon knows what he needs to work on.
“I know coach Moore emphasizes to all the guards to box out and I have a tendency not to do that. So I’m going to work on that, playing defense, getting in the passing lanes, just playing hard to get to the next level.”
Waterman feels that time, patience, and commitment is all the six-foot-two, 160 pound guard needs.
“Well, I think the one thing that’s going to happen naturally is going to be his size and strength. As he gets a little bit bigger and a little bit stronger, he’s going to be really tough to guard because he can create his own shot.”
When Dixon’s frame expands, Waterman knows he’ll be special for the Bobcat faithful.
“I think really it’s just his strength. Once he gets his strength together, Quinnipiac got a steal.”
Mikey Dixon receives his MVP plaque at the 17th Annual Kobe Bryant Floors USA Philly.Com/Rally Scholastic Play by Play Classic at Philadelphia University.
Meet Mikey
Favorite movie: He Got Game
Biggest Role Model(s): My parents
Favorite Basketball Player: Steph Curry
Favorite food: Chicken Alfredo
Sport you would play if you didn’t play basketball? No other sport!
Favorite High School memory: When I received my 1,000th point ball at my school before a home game
A goal to accomplish at Quinnipiac: Win the MAAC Tournament
