AUSTIN (KXAN) — Tre Johnson was a bright spot in an otherwise underwhelming season for the Texas men’s basketball team, falling in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament, and now the one-and-done star is almost assured to be a lottery pick in Wednesday’s NBA draft.
Johnson led the Southeastern Conference in scoring as a freshman, pouring in nearly 20 points per game, on his way to being named the conference’s freshman of the year and to the all-SEC second team. He shot almost 40% from 3-point range and 88% from the foul line, and he’s one of the best three-level scorers in the draft.
A lot of NBA pundits see him being selected in the middle of the first round, around the 6-8 range, for the most part. In an interview with Andy Katz ahead of the draft, he said there are a few ways he’s going to differentiate himself from other draft prospects.
“I’m going to do what others won’t,” he said. “I’m going to play defense, that’s one way, and just watch film to see how I can be different from other players and find different ways to help the team win.”
Johnson said part of his preparation for the NBA has been studying film on this year’s MVP, OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Phoenix guard Devin Booker. With similar body types and playing styles, Johnson said he can use aspects of their games to supplement his.
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“They aren’t the most athletic guys or the fastest, but they are effective,” he said. “Devin is more effective without the ball, and Shai is effective with it, so putting those together in one player would be good.”
Johnson admits that he needs to be better on the defensive end, and that’s one of the biggest knocks draft evaluators have against him. Developing consistency on that end of the floor, while maintaining the same offensive skillset, will make him a perennial all-star caliber player. The franchise that selects Johnson will have a lot to work with, and there’s plenty of room for him to develop.
The first round of the NBA draft airs at 7 p.m. CDT on ESPN and ABC.