Future Wildcat Eric Dixon was added to the roster of the Iverson classic as a trio of players pulled out of the event, including Dixon's future teammate Bryan Antoine.
On Wednesday night, the Classic held the first of two nights of festivities, this one including 3-on-3, 1-on-1, a 3-point contest, and a dunk contest.
Dixon was on the sidelines for many of the events, but he did participate in the 1-on-1 competition.
Dixon opened up with a win against Arizona-bound Zeke Nnaji before losing to former Villanova target and Miami commit Isaiah Wong.
The Iverson Classic is seeking to differentiate itself from the other spring All-Star events by putting an emphasis on instruction and, more importantly, competition. Rather than the offensively dominant events that ultimately devolve into one or two players trying to make a highlight reel play every possession, the Classic aims to emphasize competition and an effort to win. That goal was on display Wednesday night, especially in the 1-on-1 and 3-on-3 contests.
Although our look at Dixon was relatively brief, there were a few takeaways. I was impressed with Dixon's footwork, particularly defensively. He moved surprisingly well and was able to create problems for a player similar in size (Nnaji) and a smaller, quicker player in Wong.
He did a good job using his size and strength offensively, at one point having Allen Iverson himself laughing and saying something to the effect of "he's so strong." (I was lipreading).
Dixon also knocked down a shot from deep, showing off his range.
Hopefully, we'll get a longer look at Dixon, in a 5-on-5 setting, on Friday night when the players take the floor for the All-Star game.
