Skip To Main Content

Utah Valley University Athletics

Home of the Utah Valley University Wolverines
AJ Dixon 15 Stories. 1 Team.

The Long Way To Now

15 Stories. 1 Team. — AJ Dixon

1/12/2026 11:57:00 AM

By Jason Erickson

Born in Gary, Indiana, a place where basketball feels less like a game and more like a way of life, AJ Dixon's relationship with the sport began almost as soon as he could walk. Five years old. No other sports. No detours. Just a ball, a hoop, and a pull toward something that felt bigger than him.

Raised in Merrillville, Indiana, Dixon found both stability and purpose. Merrillville became home, the place where his work ethic took shape and where basketball shifted from something he loved to something he believed could carry him forward. Long before structured workouts or training plans, his development came the old school way. Sunup to sundown. Outside. Playing nonstop.

"I never really trained when I was young," Dixon said. "My training was just hooping outside every day. Me and my brother, nonstop."

That brother, Jaiwon, five years older, was Dixon's first measuring stick. Games in the driveway. Runs at neighborhood courts. Constant losses that slowly hardened into motivation.

"He beat me every single day," Dixon said. "I just got tired of losing. My goal was to one day beat my brother."

Basketball, for Dixon, was never just competition. It was connection.

"Some people see basketball differently," he said. "For me, it connects everything. You can meet a stranger and become close just by playing. It connects community."

That sense of connection deepened at Merrillville High School, where Dixon's growth accelerated under the guidance of head coach Bo Patten, a mentor who cared about more than box scores or wins.

"He wasn't just about basketball," Dixon said. "He cared about my family. He genuinely cared about me."

Patten introduced Dixon to what college basketball actually looked like, taking him to Division I practices, camps, and environments that once felt distant. By Dixon's junior year, the game shifted.

"That's when it felt real," Dixon said. "I knew it could open doors, but I didn't know where it would lead. I was just playing because I loved it."

That love carried Dixon through a non-linear path, one filled with recalibration and growth. After high school, a brief stop at prep school confirmed what his instincts already knew. It was not the right fit. Junior college was.

The move changed everything.

At Triton College, Dixon found himself and his confidence. His second season there remains a highlight.

"That was the best time of my life, basketball-wise," he said. "Amazing coaches. Amazing teammates. We won. We went to the national championship."

More than wins, junior college demanded maturity, coachability, professionalism, and attention to detail. Triton sharpened Dixon's shooting, but more importantly, it sharpened his mindset.

"It showed me I could play with anybody," Dixon said. "The best players. That gave me confidence."

That belief carried him to Division I and into his most challenging chapter.

Western Illinois tested Dixon in ways basketball never had before. Injuries. A redshirt season. Long mornings and longer patience.

"That was my darkest period," Dixon said. "Mentally, I knew I was better. But I had to learn patience."

The experience was not wasted. Daily 6 a.m. workouts. Relentless accountability. Assistant coach Chris Hill who taught him what professionalism really looks like.

"He showed me what it takes to be a pro," Dixon said. "That changed my life."

Still, something tugged at Dixon. When the transfer portal opened, he followed his faith.

"I just felt God telling me to move," he said.

A recommendation from a former Triton assistant coach led him to Utah Valley. Dixon did not need a visit.

"I just knew," he said. "Good coaches. Good environment. It felt right."

What followed was not the season Dixon imagined. A rare hip injury just before the year forced him into another lesson in patience. It is a chapter he does not define himself by, but one that has shaped him nonetheless.

"This one taught me discipline," he said. "Being okay with small steps. You cannot rush it."

Instead of retreating, Dixon leaned in, studying the game, seeing it from the coaching side, absorbing the pace and nuance of the league.

"I'm even more confident now," he said. "I know I can help."

Away from the court, Dixon is exactly how teammates describe him. Chill. Movies on repeat. Quiet confidence. Creativity as balance. He writes rap lyrics to clear his mind, an outlet that pulls him away from basketball just long enough to reset.

Family remains at the center of everything. His mother, Tasha, made sure basketball was supported the right way early on, guiding him into AAU opportunities and keeping him focused. His younger sister, Aniya, chose her own path in track, a reminder that competition and drive run deep in the Dixon family.

Being overlooked has never discouraged Dixon. It has shaped him, sharpening the edge that still drives him forward.

"That chip never left," he said.

What he calls his "AJ Revenge Tour" is not about proving people wrong, but about trusting the work and the timing of it all.

"I'm hungry," Dixon said. "I want to make a change for my family."

His path has never been straight. There have been peaks and valleys, moments of pause and moments of progress, all moving him forward.

"Your life is already set," Dixon said. "You just can't rush God's work."

The game found him early. Built by patience. Still becoming.
 
Print Friendly Version

Facilities