NCAA leading scorer Eric Dixon set for NBA pre-draft workout with Phoenix Suns

• He has worked out for several teams, including the Phoenix Suns, who hold the 29th and 52nd picks.
• Dixon models his game after versatile players like Draymond Green, aiming to be a “high-level connector.”

Eric Dixon is a five-year product of what has made Villanova one of the premier college basketball programs over the last 10-plus years.

“It’s the kind of people that Villanova helps mold,” said Dixon, who redshirted his first year there in 2019-20. “Villanova recruits a certain type of guy. They also can mold and make you a certain type of person.”

Dixon finished his college career as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,314 points. A third-team All-American in his final year at Villanova, Dixon led the nation in scoring at 23.3 points per game.

He now looks to join a list of Villanova players in the NBA, currently at nine, with one being Phoenix Suns two-way player Collin Gillespie, who was his teammate at Villanova.

“I think the values that we talk about every single day in our organization (are) something that a lot of NBA organizations value,” Dixon said.

Dixon has a pre-draft workout scheduled in Phoenix this week. The Suns have the 29th overall pick in the first round and the 52nd overall selection in the June 25-26 draft.

“All these places are high level,” said Dixon, who completed his 11^th visit Tuesday with the Golden State Warriors. “They all have their own unique thing that makes them special and makes them different, which is what you expect.”              

At 6-8, 258 pounds with essentially a 7-foot wingspan, Dixon, 24, has the size to score inside, but he also shot 40.7% from 3 on 7.2 attempts.

“He’s a guy that puts in the work,” said then-Villanova interim head coach Mike Nardi after Dixon became the school’s all-time leading scorer. “He comes in every day and he gets up extra shots. He’s a great teammate and he’s great to the Villanova community. That’s what all of our guys have learned to do here. It’s very special just seeing his progression and development.”   

Dixon first named twins Marcus and Markieff Morris when asked who he compares himself to when it comes to his size and skill set. He then mentioned Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams before linking himself to Draymond Green, a four-time NBA champion with the Warriors.

“Who I want to be at the highest level is a highest-level connector,” Dixon said. “The best one is at Golden State in Draymond Green. Just the way he connects to team on both ends of the floor. For me, a guy who wants to stick around in this league, that’s kind of my route.”

Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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