Tre Johnson ‘cut from the same cloth’ as Kevin Durant on journey to become an all-time great

Five-star freshman guard Tre Johnson stands out at SEC Media Day, the only freshman who made the trip is ready to introduce himself to the college basketball world. Texas coach Rodney Terry helped kickstart the hype with a bold comparison.

In a room full of veteran players, his youth is something Texas coach Rodney Terry does not think disqualifies him from a leadership role. In fact, he invoked Kevin Durant’s name when describing the mindset.

“He’s a super competitor. I got a chance to coach Kevin Durant for one year at Texas, and he and Kevin have a lot of things in common – cut from the same cloth in terms of incredible work ethic. He’s a guy that we have to literally push out of the gym because he’s in the gym 24/7 – much like Kevin was.”

While the 6-foot-6 guard does not hold the same physical stature or playstyle as Kevin Durant, Terry sees the similarities in how the two compete. Johnson takes the comparison in stride, but won’t let it define him.

Johnson told reporters the Kevin Durant comparison is “just something that was labeled upon me,” but expanded on what it means to him.

“It’s always a great comparison,” said Johnson. “What I always think of is he had his time at Texas and he did great here. I’m trying to do something similar to that.”

Johnson brings great pedigree to Texas, ranked No. 5 overall in the 2024 On3 Industry Rankings. He also carries an NIL Valuation of $1.3 million entering the year, per On3.

Introducing Tre Johnson

While he is only projected to spend one season in college basketball before the 2025 NBA Draft likely sees him turn pro, Johnson must first introduce himself to basketball fans around the world.

Rodney Terry laid the foundation by labeling him “a guy the media wants to get familiar with” and “a guy who’s deserving of being here” with the SEC’s best.

At the shooting guard spot, Johnson aims to combine his best attributes to help the Longhorns.

“I feel like it would be playmaking, scoring ability, using my scoring ability to play-make,” Johnson said when describing his game. “That’s two things that go hand-in-hand. Then just defense, and being a leader on the court.”

Beyond college, Johnson is not shy about his overall basketball goals.

“Everything I’ve been working towards, probably going down as one of the greatest basketball players ever,” said Johnson. “I want to be one of the best to ever touch a basketball.”