AUSTIN, Texas — The out-of-tune track could be heard from behind a closed door on the opposite aspect of Texas’ observe courtroom: “Comfortable Birthday to Tre!” A couple of moments later, Longhorns famous person guard Tre Johnson ambles over for a pre-scheduled interview.
The SEC’s main scorer is now 19 years outdated.
A easy, create-a-bucket from anyplace true freshman, Johnson is averaging extra factors per recreation (20.2) than his age for a Texas crew scrapping to remain within the bubble watch dialog for the NCAA Match.
As for the way Johnson will have a good time the day earlier than Texas’ regular-season finale towards Oklahoma, he would not actually have any plans. Johnson’s not one for consideration. Regardless of 45,000 Instagram followers, Johnson’s solely posted twice this season — each to fulfill NIL obligations.
Stated Johnson with amusing when requested about his lack of social media utilization: “I am too busy in the true world.”
For no matter motive, nonetheless, the basketball gods don’t take kindly to Johnson’s live-in-the-moment presence on his second day as a 19-year-old. Johnson peppered the rim within the 76-72 loss to the tune of 14 pictures. He missed all of them (0-for-14), together with a gimme layup within the ultimate seconds on the way in which to a season-low seven factors.
There’s greater than a little bit of irony in Johnson’s inexplicable chilly streak.
Johnson carried Texas all season in his debut with the SEC’s fifth-highest utilization price for a veteran-led and injury-riddled roster. But Texas’ different scorers stepped up towards Oklahoma as Jordan Pope (20), Tramon Mark (12) and Arthur Kaluma (12) reached double digits, the primary time that high-profile switch trio managed to take action collectively since Texas’ SEC opener towards Texas A&M.
Johnson’s shot abandoning him on the worst time is simply one other twist in an uncomfortable SEC debut for the Longhorns (17-14, 6-12 in convention) and embattled head coach Rodney Terry.
Terry, simply two seasons faraway from an Elite Eight run, and Texas will enter Wednesday’s SEC Match matchup towards Vanderbilt with an apparent directive: Win a number of video games or miss the NCAA Match.
If they do not, the Longhorns danger losing their newest one-and-done standout.
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“It has been form of the identical however not the identical,” Johnson mentioned of how his Texas profession has gone up to now. “I assumed we would win extra video games or get it discovered sooner. But when we have to determine it out proper earlier than the SEC Match that is completely wonderful with me.
“I simply thought we would be higher total as a crew with the wins and losses.”
Terry first watched Johnson play in 2021. He’d gone to a match in Dallas to scout Cason Wallace, now of the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, however could not take his eyes off a bucket-getting highschool sophomore.
Seems that Terry had a reference to Johnson, too. Terry coached Johnson’s father, Richard, as an assistant for Baylor in 1996.
Richard finally transferred to Midwestern State, however the pair reconnected when Richard’s son emerged as one of many high underclassmen in America.
“We referred to as (Tre) a younger Ray Allen once we first noticed him play in highschool, and to me he is lived as much as that,” Terry instructed Hoops HQ earlier this yr.
By any metric Johnson, who completed because the No. 6 total participant within the 2024 class per the Top247 rankings, has emerged as one of many high bucket getters within the nation. He’s the highest-scoring freshman within the nation, averaging a scintillating 20.2 factors per recreation, hitting 39.5% of his 3-point makes an attempt (fifth within the SEC), 43.4% of his area objectives (tenth within the SEC) and 88.3% of his free throws (third within the league).
That effectivity is regardless of main the SEC — a league with 5 of the highest 12 groups within the NCAA’s NET rankings — in minutes per recreation (34.2).
The 6-foot-6, 190-pound Johnson is not essentially overwhelmingly athletic. He can create off the dribble and assault the rim, however a lot of Johnson’s scoring prowess comes from his capability to work off the ball and generate area off the dribble for his silky jumper.
Johnson labored along with his dad from a younger age on his launch, leading to a easy, repeatable and lightning-fast jumper. That shot is the technically sound base for a scorer who prefers to assault defenders primarily based on what they’re giving him. It is the identical tactic he took in highschool, dropping 30-plus factors on Wallace as a sophomore, and the identical technique utilized in SEC play.
“Regardless of the protection provides me, I’ll take,” Johnson mentioned. “Simply attempting to be environment friendly, no matter I am doing.”
There have been stretches this yr, nonetheless, when Johnson’s been pressured to hunt pictures.
Texas retooled its roster this offseason after dropping its high 4 scorers and eight of its high 10 leaders in minutes performed to both the draft, switch portal or commencement. The Longhorns went heavy within the portal to assist exchange these departures, touchdown a quintet of four-star transfers, together with three of the highest 70 (Mark, Pope and Kaluma).
All three of them averaged 14-plus factors final season with Mark (Arkansas) and Pope (Oregon State) main their crew in factors per recreation.
Thrown in Johnson’s high-profile pedigree and it seemed like, a minimum of on paper, the Longhorns would don’t have any scarcity of scoring choices from night time to nighttime.
“That is most likely the largest factor for me taking part in with older guys, particularly with guys that had been No. 1 choices on their crew,” Johnson mentioned. “Complete lot of No. 1 choices on the identical crew looking for methods to get that blended and gelled collectively.”
However that four-headed scoring punch by no means materialized.
Accidents have prompted numerous alterations of Texas’ rotation from week to week, however usually it has been on Johnson to fabricate factors from night time to nighttime. The Longhorns are 0-5 in SEC play when Johnson scores 15 factors or fewer and 1-7 when he shoots 40% or worse from the ground.
Regardless of some enormous efforts from Johnson down the stretch, the Longhorns are simply 2-7 over their final 9 video games. That tailspin turned up the warmth on Terry. CBS Sports activities listed Terry’s seat as “uncomfortably scorching” on Feb. 26, and the Longhorns have misplaced three of 4 since.
Johnson tries to remain off social media, however even he’s conscious of the discuss surrounding his coach’s future heading into the SEC match.
“It is bizarre as a result of he hasn’t performed a single recreation for us they usually speaking (about) him like he is on the market taking part in for us,” Johnson mentioned. “However numerous it’s on us, although, our sluggish begins and issues like that. When it is a loss he takes the loss on him. It exhibits the coach he’s.”
Texas is not Duke or Kentucky, however the Longhorns have had loads of one-and-done darlings for the reason that one-and-done period started with the 2006 NBA Draft.
From Mo Bamba to Myles Turner and Tristan Thompson, high recruits have develop into high draft picks in Austin. No participant is extra notable in that regard than Kevin Durant, the supernova of a freshman who gained Naismith Nationwide Participant of the Yr in 2007.
Durant is a future Corridor of Famer and one of many best pure scorers of all time. Johnson modeled his scoring repertoire after Durant rising up, although Johnson began watching these like Devin Booker, Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander and Bradley Beal extra typically later in life when he peaked at 6-foot-6 as an alternative of 6-foot-11 like Durant.
Johnson even broke Durant’s freshman single-game scoring report with a 39-point outburst on Feb. 26 towards Arkansas.
Not that Johnson remembers that night time — an 86-81 additional time loss — all that fondly.
“It would not matter,” Johnson mentioned. “We misplaced the sport. It is only a scoring report.”
For all of Durant’s accomplishments as a real freshman in 2006-07, Texas misplaced within the second spherical of the NCAA Match to USC. He is not alone in failing to make a run. Texas’ 9 one-and-done true freshmen since 2007 have all did not make the Candy 16.
One-and-done freshmen have not often gained titles in school basketball, and it isn’t as if each probably excessive choose will go dancing this March; Rutgers‘ Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey — each projected top-five picks — might want to run the desk, ala NC State, within the Huge Ten Match to steer the Scarlet Knights to a match bid.
However for Texas it is a continuation of a development. The Longhorns have by no means lacked expertise. Even after they get a once-in-a-half-decade participant like Johnson, they have been unable to take benefit with a Candy 16 run.
Johnson is but to announce his 2025 NBA Draft plans, however Terry mentioned again in November of his freshman star: “This child is particular. Do not wait until convention, come out and see him. … Do not wait until half a yr and determine you are solely going to see him for one yr.”
On the day of his nineteenth birthday, Johnson mirrored on what that have would imply if it did not embrace a visit to the NCAA Match.
“(It’d simply be) a step that I missed,” Johnson mentioned. “An enormous step, as a result of that is what you actually dream of as a child is taking part in within the match on the massive stage.”