2 studs, 1 dud from Texas's nailbiter win vs. Syracuse

Dud: Tre Johnson, G

Johnson wasn't his usual self on the offensive end of the floor against Syracuse tonight in Brooklyn. Had it not been for roughly a half dozen made free throws in the second half, Johnson would've posted his first game scoring in single digits this season for the Longhorns.

Despite Johnson's struggles shooting from the field in this game (4-of-18 from the field and 1-of-7 from beyond the arc), Texas still kept giving him the ball on the offensive end late in the second half. Johnson's ability to make some tough shots late and nail clutch free throws (6-of-6 from the charity stripe in the second half) to seal the victory for the Longhorns.

After Johnson led the SEC in scoring in the season's first four games, averaging 24 points per game on 59 percent shooting from the field and 59 percent from deep, he struggled to find his shot against Syracuse.

Johnson's ice-cold shooting stretch in the second half kept Texas from continuing its offensive surge into the game's final 20 minutes. He shot just 1-of-11 from the field and 0-of-3 from beyond the arc in the second half.

Gifted scorers are always going to have off games. But the fact that Johnson, a true freshman playing in just his second career game against a major conference foe in his collegiate career, was able to find his groove and nail some key free throws late to seal the victory for the Longhorns is a big deal.

I think Johnson will have a strong response for the Longhorns in the final game of the Legends Classic tomorrow, regardless if Texas faces St. Joseph's or Texas Tech.