Longhorns hook No. 4 hoops recruit Johnson

Top-five recruit Tre Johnson, the second-highest-ranked uncommitted player in the 2024 class, announced his commitment to Texas on Wednesday, leaving Rodney Terry and the Longhorns’ men’s basketball team as the big winners of the early signing period.

Johnson chose Texas over Baylor after a long head-to-head battle between the two in-state rivals.

“I have a great relationship with the staff,” Johnson, who is ranked No. 4 in the ESPN 100, told ESPN. “I’ve been there multiple times and there’s a great connection. I could be myself around them.”

Johnson’s father, Richard Johnson Jr., played his college ball at Baylor, where Terry was an assistant coach under Harry Miller. The two schools seemed to trade momentum throughout the latter stages of Johnson’s recruitment, but the Longhorns won out in the end.

“He shoots you straight,” Tre Johnson said of Terry. “He gets on the best players in practice. I like that. He wants the best from you.”

He added: “There’s no NBA team in Austin. The fans give great support, and the Moody Center gets loud. I like their culture.”

A 6-foot-6 shooting guard from Texas who plays at Link Academy (Missouri), Johnson has hovered at or near the top of the 2024 rankings for the last year. He entered last spring at No. 1 and was consistently tracked by all six of his final schools: Baylor, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Alabama and Kentucky.

Johnson then went out and averaged 18.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 21 games with the Houston Hoops grassroots program on the Nike EYBL circuit, shooting nearly 35% from 3-point range.

Johnson told “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday that he had a chance to work out with former Texas star Kevin Durant, who had positive things to say about the Longhorns.

“I talked to him, bounced some ideas off his head,” Johnson said. “He said it was a good place to come in and hoop and just play, great atmosphere. Just looking forward to getting down there on campus.”

Johnson represented USA Basketball at the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup, where Team USA struggled to a fourth-place finish. He was productive during his time in Hungary, however, averaging 11.1 points in seven games, shooting 50% from inside the arc and 35.7% from 3-point range.

Texas now has three recruits in the 2024 class, with all three ranked inside the ESPN 100. Johnson joins wing Cameron Scott (No. 24) and forward Nic Codie (No. 67) in the Longhorns’ group.

Johnson is the highest-ranked recruit to pick Texas since Dillon Mitchell — who was also ranked No. 4 — in the 2022 class. The last recruit ranked higher than No. 4 to head to Austin was Myles Turner back in the Class of 2014.