Mullins’ Smith, Wilson’s Dixon leaving the state

Two of the best prep basketball players in the Pee Dee have decided to leave the state for their senior years.  Mullins’ Eric Smith and Wilson’s Trevonte Dixon have both enrolled at Christ School, a private boarding school outside of Asheville with a national powerhouse basketball program.

Christ School was ranked 22nd in the nation last year and won the North Carolina private school state championship.

The former Auctioneer Smith has verbally committed to play at USC next year, and he still plans on honoring that commitment.  But his father and AAU coach Steve Smith says that this move will help prepare Eric for the SEC. “He will get to play against Division 1 competition while he’s still in high school,“ says Smith. “When Eric made this decision, he was thinking big picture.“

Smith added that the school has fewer restrictions on coaching, a full-time training staff, and the experience of being away from home for a year before he goes to college.  Lakeem Jackson, a freshman on the Gamecocks, is a graduate of Christ School, and it is from Jackson’s family that the Smiths became interested in the school.

Meanwhile Dixon, Smith’s first cousin, has a different reason for leaving Wilson.  New Wilson coach DeAndre Scott worked with Dixon this summer and says that he was getting small Division 1 offers, but he was also looking to play against tougher competition.  In addition, because of his age, Dixon has enrolled at Christ School as a junior, giving him an extra year of high school basketball.

In an email, Dixon’s father, Tommy, said; “The biggest regret (Dixon) has about leaving Wilson is not having the opportunity to play for newly hired Coach DeAndre Scott. He believes that Coach Scott is going to be an asset to the Tigers!“

And Steve Smith articulated the same thing.  He was a graduate of Mullins, and his son loves his now former school.  But looking at the big picture, Eric believes this makes him a better basketball player. 

Both Smith and Dixon played in state championship games for their respective schools.  Smith and Mullins lost in the 2008 Class AA state title game.  Dixon played for the 2006 Class AAA state championship game when Wilson was victorious.