It's official, Texas men's basketball has returned to the NBA Draft in style, literally. Freshman Tre Johnson was the only Longhorn in attendance when the 2025 Draft tipped off, and before he could blink, Johnson was off the board.
Johnson was selected sixth overall by the Washington Wizards, who had tanked to put themselves in a prime position for the No. 1 pick and Duke star Cooper Flagg. After Washington's heartbreak over how the Draft Lottery shook out, the Wizards will learn that they did just fine with Johnson.
The former Longhorn was not only the best shooter in the Draft class, but his work ethic, both in and out of the gym, was what really made Johnson special.
"Just knowing how hard I work, plus knowing how consistently I am winning," Johnson said about his future in the league. "I'm gonna keep putting in those hours, so long as that translates."
Yes, his shooting is almost unmatched, finishing second in the Texas men's basketball program history as the highest-scoring freshman in program history, only trailing future NBA Hall of Famer Kevin Durant.
the moment 🤘#HookEm | #NBADraft pic.twitter.com/aZg9bA4rh7
— Texas Men’s Basketball (@TexasMBB) June 26, 2025
Johnson was phenomenal for the Longhorns last season, despite Texas's season falling well short of expectations. Beyond being the SEC Freshman of the Year, Johnson also led the entire conference in scoring throughout the 2024-25 season.
Tre Johnson freshman stats
- 19.9 points per game
- 3.1 rebounds per game
- 2.7 assists per game
- 0.9 steals per game
- 0.3 blocks per game
As a freshman in the most competitive conference in the country, Johnson averaged nearly 20 points while also contributing more than three points and two assists per game. His defensive mindset and basketball IQ led to him amassing almost a steal per game and more than 10 blocks over his singular collegiate season.
To put it lightly, Johnson's promising future at the next level will make any team sit back and smile when they draft him, much less a team in such dire need as the Wizards.
Prior to Johnson, legendary Texas center Mo Bamba (2018) was the last former Horn drafted within the first six picks. Before that, Tristan Thompson was taken fourth overall in 2011, and Durant was selected second in 2007.