What is Tre Johnson's NBA draft projection and comparison? Texas star makes major announcement

Texas Longhorns star Tre Johnson, a freshman, announced his decision to enter the 2025 NBA draft on Tuesday's "NBA Today" with Malika Andrews.

In Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo's latest ESPN mock draft, released on Tuesday, Johnson is projected to be selected by the Philadelphia 76ers as the No. 5 pick.

"Johnson is a prototype for what many NBA teams are seeking at the wing position, standing 6-6 with a 6-10 wingspan, dynamic shotmaking prowess and the skill level, versatility and aggressiveness to create shots in bunches," Givony wrote.

"He scored about 20 points per game and made 40% of his 3s in 2024-25, and he shouldn't have issues filling up the scoring column in the NBA."

On Tuesday, 247Sports' Eric Henry said the 19-year-old "had easily the best freshman season" since two-time NBA champion and 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant donned a Longhorns jersey in 2006-07.

Tre Johnson led the SEC in scoring, averaging 19.9 points on 42.7% shooting (39.7% on 3-pointers). He also hit 87.1% of his free throws in his one-year stay. He was also named the SEC Freshman of the Year and was selected to the All-SEC second team.

Tre Johnson on what he learned in college basketball

On March 20, speaking before his final game with the Texas Longhorns, Tre Johnson shared what he picked up during his lone collegiate season.

"I learned how hard you really have to play to win," Johnson said. "I feel like I didn't know how hard you have to play to win a college game when I first got here. Being in some of the close games that we've had made me realize that you can't take any plays off or anything like that. You have to play extremely hard just to win one game."

Texas lost 86-80 to the Xavier Musketeers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. In his final game, Johnson tallied a game-high 23 points and six rebounds on 6-for-14 shooting (4-for-7 from the 3-point line).

When asked by Malika Andrews what it meant for Johnson to be projected as a lottery pick in a loaded class, Johnson said:

"It's kinda somewhat childhood dream, but when I was a kid, I just didn't think about being No. 1 or being lottery," Johnson said. "I just thought about getting a chance. ... Just to be a lottery pick, that's even better, for sure."

Tre Johnson hopes to bring what he has learned to the professional level as he gears up for the upcoming NBA draft.