Tre Johnson: Not Just A Bucket
Texas Longhorns freshman Tre Johnson possesses some serious offensive firepower as a scorer. However, history has shown that one of the top prospects in the 2025 NBA Draft has more to offer.
Firepower is a desired asset in the NBA. Every team is looking for a player who can give them an edge on any night. When you have the potential to create headaches for the opposition with your microwave scoring ability, you’re going to have teams lining up with intrigue.
In every NBA Draft class, we can find a prospect that we rapidly gravitate towards. It’s the type of prospect you quickly write on your notepad: “I’m in.” When you know, you know. As we dig deeper, though, we start to wonder about the questions that are starting to arise, maybe from some of our closest peers.
Is the shot selection something that could present problems? If he’s a tremendous scoring option, what happens when the shot isn’t falling? If he’s a bucket-getting machine, what else does he bring to the table? This guy looks like a floor spacing weapon, but what about the playmaking? How can he make an impact when he’s “not on”?
These are all legit questions that come into the conversation with a lot of evaluations. For Texas Longhorns freshman Tre Johnson, it’s been something that has become a battle zone for some scouts.
When you first start to look into Tre Johnson as a prospect, it’s hard to not be overly excited. Johnson is a smooth criminal on the court. He glides around the perimeter and only needs a sliver of space to use his lightning-quick release to get a shot off from anywhere he wants.
Johnson has take over ability that will leave you shouting “he’s heating up” as if you’re paying tribute to NBA Jam. It only takes a couple of shots going in before Johnson starts to find his groove and feel that he can hit any shot that presents itself. With that type of bucket-getting ability, you would think that Johnson would be a bit of a “safe” pick as an addition at the next level.
But that’s when the questions can start to arise surrounding a prospect like this.
THE BACKGROUND
First, let’s take a trip to the beginning of time to get a full evaluation of what type of prospect Johnson has become today. In 2023, Tre Johnson was asked to be a part of the United States U19 team to play in the 2023 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup. Normally, that would be a heck of an honor for any young player. The difference? Johnson would be one of the youngest players on the roster, as he and teammate Dylan Harper were two years younger than the rest of the competition.
That roster featured a number of familiar names in the NBA draft world—names such as Cody Williams, Asa Newell, Kylan Boswell, Myles Colvin, Ian Jackson, Eric Dailey Jr., and more.
Despite being one of the youngest players on the team, Johnson would step up and spend a lot of time running the show for the United States. He would finish second on the team in assists per game (2.6), trailing Dylan Harper (3.0). After seven games of play, Tre averaged 11.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. During that same span, Johnson shot 42.6% from the field, 35.7% from three, and 94.1% from the free throw line.
Fast forward to his senior year, and Johnson was considered one of the top recruits in the country. Playing for Link Academy, Johnson showcased his full arsenal of offensive weaponry on a regular basis. He played alongside some well-known names in the scouting world, such as Labaron Philon (Alabama) and 2026 Kentucky Wildcats freshman Jasper Johnson. He’d end up being a consensus five-star recruit and was ranked #5 overall by ESPN and Rivals, as well as #6 overall by 247Sports. According to the good folks at Synergy, Johnson averaged 15.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game during his senior season while shooting 40.6% from the field, 39.0% from three, and 89.1% from the charity stripe.
Johnson eventually committed to play for the Texas Longhorns, and it didn’t take long for him to send a message to the scouting world. In his first seven games with the Longhorns, Johnson averaged 21.1 points per game while posting eye-opening shooting splits of 47.7% from the field, 42.0% from downtown, and 85.2% from the free throw line.
For any type of freshman, it was production that could not be ignored. The next 12 games saw Johnson’s scoring output drop a bit to 17.8 points per game. But the efficiency stayed solid. 42.6% from the field, 34.2% from downtown, and 90.2% from the line—still respectable numbers, but scouts wondered if the efficiency could come around again. Boy, did it ever…
Tre would go on the warpath for his next nine games, averaging 24.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game while posting shooting splits of 45.1/46.2/86.7. It was notable to see the scoring and assists per game take a big jump, showcasing just how versatile and intriguing Johnson can be when he’s “at his best.”
But numbers are one thing. On paper, the scoring output can be extremely impressive. On the other hand, many have wondered: Can Johnson’s game contribute to winning at the next level?
It’s a fair question. Let’s take a look at the hard facts. Texas went 19-16 on the season. That included a 6-12 record in conference play. Having a firepower type of presence like Johnson would raise questions of how a team with a potential Top 5 selection could struggle so much when it came to the wins and losses column.
When evaluating a prospect, one of the most important things to take into consideration is the situation. What type of situation has this player been put into? For too many potential one-and-done prospects, the chances are that they aren’t going to land in a “perfect” situation to showcase a lot of their skills in one season. Many could argue that Johnson’s shot selection or lack of playmaking was evident. But that’s where we need to evaluate the hand that he was dealt.
Texas struggled as a roster surrounding their talented freshman. Johnson’s 2.7 assists per game ranked second on the team behind Julian Larry (2.9). After that, the closest on the team was Arthur Kaluma (1.8).
Per Sports Reference, Texas ranked 231st in the NCAA in assists per game at 12.9. If you want to fact-check that, the NCAA website has Texas ranked 225th in assists per game. They also ranked 259th in three-point attempts per game and 93rd in field goal percentage.
If you want to have some teams to compare it to…why not; let’s get weird. Rutgers (15-17 on the year), who had Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, ranked 235th in assists per game. 212th in three-point attempts per game, and 173rd in field goal percentage.
Baylor (20-15), who had freshman VJ Edgecombe, ranked 118th in assists per game, 119th in three-point attempts per game, and 181st in field goal percentage.
What I’m getting at here is that the situation cannot be overstated when it comes to importance in evaluating a prospect. NBA scouts are trying to focus on the strengths of a player and how they can be of use at the next level. Sure, we’d like to have a player who doesn’t have weaknesses, but there’s always a hole in someone’s game.
But what is the NBA skill set? And is it good enough for us to try to squeeze as much of that ability as we can to give our team a boost? That’s where we start, then we start to figure out the rest of the pieces of the puzzle.
THE FILM
I wanted to go in a little bit of a different direction when it comes to breaking down film on Tre Johnson. There’s been a lot of discussion about Tre Johnson, especially when it comes to his playmaking ability. It’s a legit thing to talk about. When you’re trying to add a sharpshooting flamethrower on the perimeter, you want to bring some questions to the table to avoid concern.
Is this a shot chucker? Does he have tunnel vision? At the next level, is he able to use his scoring gravity to create for others, or do we have a problem if he doesn’t get “his”?
Throughout the year, a lot of these questions have surrounded Tre Johnson as a prospect. Personally, I thought those doubts generated a little bit too much noise. But the reasoning was what I had seen Johnson put on display in other forms of competition. That’s when the most important lesson in scouting always comes creeping back into the picture: “One year doesn’t tell the story.”
Let’s start at the beginning, and talk about some tape with Tre Johnson in FIBA play for Team USA. Now, remember, Johnson was playing here while being almost two years younger than most of the competition. Due to the lack of “firepower” on the roster, Team USA ended up having to lean on the likes of Dylan Harper, Asa Newell, and Johnson, who all shined brightly throughout the event.
PLAYMAKING (FIBA)
I think this is a crucial part of understanding Tre Johnson. Many of us in the scouting world pour through hours of tape to get a feel for players who just completed a college basketball season. Sometimes, though, we have to go back to remind ourselves of what type of player this was heading into this season.
If you watched the 2023 FIBA U19 play for Team USA, you quickly understood that this team was lacking the firepower that they usually had. There wasn’t a clear “alpha” on the court who could simply put the team on their back on a regular basis. It quickly became evident that some of the best guys on the team were also the youngest guys. Leaving that event, Tre Johnson was a name that was firmly on radars as a player on the rise. Johnson stepped up as a player who was asked to be more of a facilitator during these events.
If you’ve watched Johnson closely at Texas this year, this type of playmaking tape might have you doing a double-take. There are a lot of reads that we simply didn’t see on a consistent basis throughout the year, even if they were teased a bit. Johnson did a great job of working to get quality looks for teammates, keeping his head up and trying to always see the floor ahead. At Texas this year, you could make the argument that Johnson looked to score first before pivoting to playmaking when needed. But when looking at the FIBA tape, we saw what Johnson could look like when he was letting the game come to him.
OFFENSE (FIBA)
Johnson was still young in his physical development, so we didn’t have the “hey, let me pull up from another zip code” type of shot selection. But that didn’t stop him from showcasing the smooth shot-making upside that we saw at Texas this year. He still had a beautiful shot from outside, but you can even see the improvement he’s made with his shooting stroke as he’s gotten stronger. When going back and looking at the FIBA tape, I had to remind myself of how Johnson had showcased a little more off-the-bounce game as well, especially when it came to creating and being patient in the midrange.
There was some impressive composure with Johnson when trying to get his shots at this level—something that continued to make a mark when evaluating him as a prospect moving forward. Despite his age in the competition level, Johnson seemed to be comfortable with waiting for opportunities to present themselves.
FINISHING (FIBA)
One thing that has continued to catch my attention with Tre Johnson has been the finishing ability, especially this year at Texas. It’s not necessarily focusing on finishing around the rim, although there are some questions to be answered there. When evaluating Tre personally, I think there’s a flash of indecisiveness when getting downhill. Tre can throw a dribble sequence at you that will have a defender falling off balance before he gets downhill to attack the basket. But at times, it looks as if there’s a bit of “okay, what now?”
That’s the next area of his game that I believe can unlock a heck of a weapon offensively. It doesn’t need to be the most advanced creations or finishes, but there just needs to be some assertiveness when it comes to either leaning on a floater or understanding how to welcome contact and finish with finesse.
HIGH SCHOOL (Playmaking)
When starting this, I had an idea of just focusing on comparing the FIBA tape to Johnson’s freshman year at Texas. But then I thought, why not take another look at the high school tape to get a refresher as well? And boy am I glad I did so.
Here, I just want to focus on the playmaking. At Texas, I thought he showcased some playmaking flashes that were a bit “slept on” by some in the scouting community. But at times, I think there could have been an argument of whether or not Johnson’s playmaking this season was just simply reacting at the last instance when the shot wasn’t there (more on that in a bit).
Going back to Link Academy tape, you have to remember that Johnson was once viewed as one of the top prospects in the country as a junior. So, as a senior, it was clear that Johnson was “the guy” on the scouting reports.
It doesn’t take long for you to quickly say: “Wait, this is Tre Johnson from Texas?” There are some awesome displays of vision and anticipation as a passer from Tre. This is the type of stuff that gets NBA scouts excited when you’re talking about a player that can not only be a bucket-getting machine, but can also understand what to do when his scoring gravity creates additional attention.
Johnson creates some beautiful reads as a ball-handler, setting up his teammates with easy looks off multiple reads: high pick-and-rolls before throwing dimes to cutting teammates, drive-and-kicks for easy threes, or threading the needle in tight windows for high-percentage looks. There’s a lot to be excited about.
TEXAS
That brings us to Tre Johnson at Texas this year. For now, you should have a pretty good idea of the type of foundation that Johnson had created to come into the 2024-25 NCAA season. There was a clear realization with this Texas team that they had an offensive juggernaut waiting to be unleashed in their talented freshman. With the lack of offensive firepower around him, respectfully, there was a clear intention of “let’s feed this kid as much as we can.” Johnson welcomed it and tried to put Texas on his back for as much as he could.
Tre Johnson Offense (vs UConn)
When you’re watching Tre, there’s no denying the competitive nature and fiestiness he has on the court. If you need an example of a game to sell you on Johnson, look no further than UConn vs Texas. The Huskies had control of this game, but Johnson refused to go away. UConn would open up a 20-point lead early in this one, but Johnson kept throwing haymakers. The Huskies did everything in their power to try to slow him down, even throwing one of their best defenders on him. But Johnson kept trying to get Texas back in the game. They would cut the lead to eight, before UConn eventually pulled away, but it was one of my favorite Johnson games of the season in terms of evaluating him.
Johnson went to work with his offensive game, showcasing the versatility as a scorer with some impressive dribble sequences on the perimeter, as well as his craft in the midrange. Once UConn tried to throw the kitchen sink at him, that’s when Johnson’s playmaking was showcased on full display for the first time that season. A couple of gorgeous finds to teammates showcased the patience and vision that Johnson had in his arsenal, and that’s when we started to see him find his groove as a facilitator.
THE SEQUENCE
One of my favorite sequences from Tre Johnson, or any prospect this year, would follow. Texas was throwing their final haymaker at UConn, with seven minutes remaining, with the Longhorns going on a final run to try to make this a game with time running down.
After a beautiful baseline kick from Tre Johnson to the opposite corner, a swing pass led to a three-point attempt to cut the lead to 10. Instead of watching, Johnson put himself in position to battle for an offensive rebound. He fought to get a finger on a tip out to a teammate for an offensive board before Texas regrouped and the ball found Johnson’s hands again. There’s a split second where it looked like Tre could go up for a quick three, but instead he decided to put the ball on the ground and attack.
After three UConn defenders collapse on Johnson, he threw a gorgeous wrap-around pass to Arthur Kaluma for an emphatic jam. It was the type of play that showcased the competitiveness, awareness of the situation, and desire to try to do anything to make a winning play.
There are a lot of questions that have been thrown around when it comes to Tre Johnson and his ability to impact winning at the next level. Some point to the assist numbers and wonder if this is another wave of “score-first” mentality wings who might not be able to leave an impact in other areas. When you go back and look at the full slate of development for Tre Johnson, I think that answer can be answered emphatically.
Tre Johnson isn’t just a bucket. He’s a player who is oozing with upside and a competitive fire to be great at the next level. Johnson has continued to welcome all types of challenges, regardless of the hand he’s been dealt at the poker table. For a player who has consistently shown that he’s not willing to back down from a fight, Johnson seems like a talent you’d want to have on your side when you’re going to battle.
Thanks for providing context on Tre J. outside of Texas, and then showing how that carries over to Texas, albeit with less volume. He shows versatility outside of scoring and I just hope he slides to # 6. However, my bet is Jazz at 5.