2025 NBA Draft: Tre Johnson Shines in Season Debut

Projected top-ten pick Tre Johnson put up 29 points in his season debut. What stood out?

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Texas Longhorns had a major test in their season opener as they played against Ohio State last night. The Longhorns ended up losing their season opener by a score of 80 to 72. Texas was led by five-star freshman Tre Johnson who tied the record for most points scored by a freshman in their season debut in Texas basketball history.

The 6-foot-6 prospect scored 29 points on 10-for-20 shooting including five made 3-pointers. There was a lot to like about Johnson’s debut but what really stood out?

Let’s dive into his performance from last night.

The big thing that popped was how impressive of a shot-maker he is. Johnson showed off his impressive shot versatility by making multiple shots off the catch, movement and dribble. He was playing with a ton of freedom and confidence which allowed him to get a lot of his buckets.

He had some questionable shots taken throughout the game, but that’s to be expected for someone’s college debut and especially since his role on the team is to get a lot of buckets. It’s clear that Johnson will play a huge role on the team as a scorer and will likely be their top scoring option all season long.

Texas isn’t as deep this year relative to the last couple, so a lot of the team’s success will rely on if Johnson can get them much-needed buckets while being efficient at doing so. It would be nice if he could get to the rim a little bit more but he isn’t the most explosive or bursty athlete off the dribble so at times he gets beat to his spot when driving it.

Johnson did have some nice finishes in last nights game so the finishing ability is certainly there, but it more so has to do with him getting more open looks at the rim. Some of the passing moments were pretty good considering he will never be a primary playmaker.

With his scoring gravity, a lot of passing windows will be there, so being a consistently good decision-maker will be important and it’s something he will continue to improve upon during his time in college.

Overall there was a lot to like about his performance last night despite the loss, but that’s nothing to hang their head over as they still have a long season ahead of them. Their next game will be Friday as they are looking to bounce back with a win to get their first of the season.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.