Feb. 16, 2000

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - If you're looking for where Juan Dixon's toughness comes from, the indomitable resiliency that has characterized his leadership of the Terrapins this season, you don't have to go far.

It starts with his uniform number, 3, that he switched to this season from No. 5 out of respect for his brother, Phil. But the bond that Juan, the Terrapins' sophomore shooting guard, and his older brother share is much deeper than a jersey number.

Juan emulated his older brother, especially for what Phil did athletically. Phil played quarterback in youth leagues, so Juan played quarterback. Phil was a pitcher, so Juan was a pitcher. Whether they played on Baltimore playgrounds or went swimming with their uncle Mark Smith, Juan was always right there trying to keep up with Phil.

"They're always competing with each other," said Smith, who is married to Sheila Dixon, the president of the Baltimore City Council. "It's a big brother-little brother thing. The first time we went go-cart riding, you would have thought we were in the Indianapolis 500" because the brothers raced so hard against each other.

The Situation

Juan and Phil Dixon have endured extraordinary hardship, though. As is known to Baltimore-area basketball fans and Terp fans, Juan's parents - Juanita Dixon and Phil Dixon, Sr. - died of AIDS months apart when he was a high school sophomore at Baltimore's Calvert Hall. Juanita and Phil Dixon were heroin addicts, and both spent time in jail.

Phil Dixon said their parents' situation strengthened the bond between him and his brothers and sister, helping them mature faster than normal kids. They couldn't help but grow closer to one another. In living with several members of their extended family, Phil, Juan, and younger siblings Nichole, 18, and Jermaine, 12, always had each other.

"We were trying to survive," said Phil Dixon, who began his work as a Baltimore City police officer this week. "We weren't thinking about toys, we were thinking of how to get out of the situation. And being close ... that's a choice that we made."

Their parents' predicament could put Phil and Juan in a bind, like when they signed up for basketball leagues. What were they supposed to put down when asked about their parents' occupation? Their parents' address?

"[Phil and Juan] had to expose that part of their life," Smith said. "In certain circumstances, they came under great ridicule."

"Phil made it feel like the situation wasn't there," said Kenyon Crawford, 25, a friend of the Dixons' who has known Phil since elementary school. "He was like a father to their whole family."

Phil

Phil Dixon's forced role as a father figure started with the most basic of tasks. He taught Juan how to dress and encouraged him to wear nice clothes He taught Juan how to drive. "Everything I know, I know from Phil," Juan said.

Phil Dixon starred at St. Frances High School in Baltimore and, Smith said, "couldn't be stopped." But Devin Gray, an eventual Clemson signee and a year ahead of Phil in school, received most of the attention from recruiters. Phil was also at a disadvantage because of work commitments and either playing on mediocre summer league teams or not playing at all. Phil didn't get the exposure he deserved from Division-I coaches.

So 5-foot-9 point guard Phil Dixon attended Shenandoah University in Winchester, Va., a school that now has a 2,000 enrollment. He graduated in 1996, the first person to earn a college degree on Juanita Dixon's side of the family, Juan said.

Phil also left as the schools' all-time leading scorer, with 2,297 points, and top assist man. He was named the Dixie Conference Player of the Year twice and was a first-team Division-III All-American his senior year.

Juan would come to Shenandoah and stay with Phil for a couple nights for weekend contests. After the games, Phil and Juan would play full-court 1-on-1 games. During breaks and summers, Phil would run Juan through drills he had learned at Shenandoah.

"He would bust my butt," Juan said. "He made me cry, he beat me up. He is one reason why I'm tougher mentally. I got that from him, being strong."

Said Smith: "I know Juan used to watch Phil and emulate him. Phil played to leave it all on the court. ... Phil was fearless."

Juan

"Because of our situation with our parents ... you wanted to prove to people how good you were. It's just in you ... you don't want to leave your fate in anybody else's hands," said Phil Dixon.

Juan Dixon has exhibited that mentality in his play this season. He hit the game-winning shot against Illinois on Dec. 4, made game-saving steals in the Terps' victory against N.C. State and was simply magnificent, scoring 31 points, in the Terps' upset of Duke last Wednesday. Blue Devil coach Mike Krzyzewski called Dixon's play "sensational. The best performance this year by an individual."

Fans can come to expect more sensational play from Juan Dixon - his brother will make sure of it.

"He's a big-game player - he knows he has to step up at big times," Phil said. "I steadily remind him about big games."

When Juan arrives home from games his brother cannot attend, he finds phone messages from Phil critiquing his performance. Phil doesn't take it easy on Juan, either, but compliments him as much as he criticizes.

"Phil has always been my biggest critic. He's stayed on me the most," Juan said.

With Juan averaging a team-leading 18 points per game and his college career taking off, some may still be asking where Juan Dixon came from. To answer, consider Juan Dixon is playing for two people: himself and his brother.

"Phil wasn't fortunate enough to play at this level," Juan said, speaking of Division I. "I'm definitely doing this for me and Phil."

By Duff Durkin