Tre Johnson returned to his usual form as he led the Texas Longhorns to a victory in their first-round win over the Vanderbilt Commodores in the 2025 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament. After the game, Johnson and head coach Rodney Terry sat down with the SEC desk to talk about the game and the Horns' postseason.
The Longhorns defeated the Commodores 79-72 to advance to the second round, where Texas will face its in-state rivals, the Texas A&M Aggies.
“As a college basketball player, how can you not be excited about the month of March?" Terry asked. "You make a lot of memories in March.”
Terry was named as the newest Texas head coach just three years ago and has since led the team to an Elite Eight appearance as well as a second-round run last year. While the odds aren't in the favor of the Longhorns this postseason, the win over the Commodores is a step in the right direction.
"I understand expectations and standards," Terry said. "The goal all season long has been winning the conference championship.”
In his first collegiate postseason game, Johnson amassed a resounding 19 points as well as one rebound and one assist. Johnson was joined by veteran guard Tramon Mark with 19 points and was followed by Jordan Pope with 14 points, then Arthur Kaluma, who scored 11 points.
“It means a lot to have Texas in front of my jersey," said Johnson, a Texas native. "Just gives you something to play for cause you’ve heard about all of the greats who came before you.“
Johnson was named as the SEC Freshman of the Year after his record-setting regular season for the Horns and was often compared to Longhorn legend Kevin Durant. The SEC analysts asked Johnson about the comparisons and his thoughts about heading to the NBA after this season.
“I’m still gonna do whatever the team needs me to do," Johnson said. "It’s all about not thinking about the next level and just winning the next game."
Texas finished the regular season with a disappointing 17-14 overall record and an abysmal 6-12 record against conference opponents, landing them in the "First Four Out" grouping of Joe Lunardi's bracketology. The win helped push the Longhorns in the direction of the NCAA Tournament, but it was far from cementing their place in the Big Dance.
“I try to get these guys to live in the moment but also try to give them the big picture… every game is a big game," Terry said. "Our guys are prepared; my staff does a great job of preparing them for the games, so there’s no pressure.”
The Longhorns and the Aggies are scheduled to tip off at 2:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, March 12. In the regular season, Texas and Texas A&M split their two matchups. The SEC Tournament game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.