This story seems in SLAM 246. Get your copy right here.
It’s a heater on this late August day in Dallas, TX. Regardless of the scorching solar and inescapable humidity, there’s an upbeat tone behind the voice of five-star guard Tre Johnson. Calling on the telephone from his hometown, the No. 4 participant within the Class of 2024 simply completed up his each day summer season routine: a morning raise and a day talent session. On this specific Wednesday, the 6-6 Dallas native was in a position to slot in some Professional-Am runs in between. Plus, he snagged a pair of the “Straightforward Cash” KD 3s earlier than hitting the weights. General, a good day for any typical hoop head.
Besides there’s nothing typical about Tre Johnson. He’s spent the previous three months touring throughout the nation, from the Nike EYBL circuit to quite a few top-ranked camps and academies. And to cap it off, he dominated the weekend on the SLAM Summer season Traditional Vol. 5, securing the 2v2 championship with Aaliyah Chavez and the dub within the Saturday evening recreation at Rucker Park. He additionally snagged the W in Vol. 4.
“To be 2-0 at Rucker with no losses? That’s an incredible feeling,” Tre says with fun. Nevertheless it’s not a jokey chuckle. It’s one which conveys a honest reality behind his reply, with slightly little bit of perspective on high. I imply, he did simply drop 14 on the most hallowed basketball park on the planet.
In three seasons at Lake Highlands in Northeast Dallas, Johnson totaled properly over 1,000 profession factors. His excessive launch level, infinite vary and magnetic ballhandling make him a risk from everywhere in the ground. His efficiency within the UIL 6A Texas State Championship was an ideal show of all his presents, because the baby-faced sniper dropped 29 factors to safe state-wide prominence for the Wildcats.
By the point you’re studying this, Johnson may have launched into a brand new step in his journey, suiting up for esteemed basketball powerhouse Hyperlink Academy. Tre introduced his determination to affix the reigning nationwide champions this previous June and headed as much as campus in Branson, MO, just some days after our name. There, he’ll be a part of fellow Texas natives Jalen Shelley (No. 43 within the class of 2024) and BJ Davis-Ray (No. 54 within the class of 2025) in addition to head coach Invoice Armstrong, a former assistant at LSU.
“He’s a defensive man. He was a defensive coach in faculty. And that’s one thing that I’ve at all times wished to get higher and grow to be nice at, as a lot as my scoring. Moving into there realizing I’m going to be pushed on protection,” Johnson says.
Whereas the Lions will boast a star-studded roster, Johnson is fast to level out that this 12 months’s squad will not be matching up as equally within the peak division. “So we’ve bought to have the ability to get beneath folks, trigger havoc and get turnovers, and likewise rebound,” he says. “If which means me not having to attain 20-plus only for us to win but in addition filling up in different classes [like] assists and rebounding and stuff like that, that’s going to be massive for me this season.”
His high six packages—Arkansas, Alabama, Kansas, Kentucky, Texas and Baylor—might have been initially tuned into his innate scoring skill, however the 17-year-old is already tapped into the little issues that can lead him to his final purpose: the League.
“Protection can translate,” Johnson explains. “With the ability to guard the opposite crew’s finest participant, you will get placed on the courtroom for that. Everyone in faculty got here from being the very best participant on their highschool crew and scoring the ball.”
Within the meantime, Tre’s bought just a few extra gadgets to verify off his highschool checklist. An invitation to the Nike Hoop Summit and McDonald’s All-American Recreation are looming. A gold medal with the U19 USA Workforce and nationwide championship with Hyperlink reside off within the distance. With a confirmed profitable mentality and maturity, the latter is straightforward cash.
Portrait by Marcus Stevens.