Kentucky named a finalist for top-ranked '24 SG Tre Johnson

Tre Johnson is the unanimous No. 1 rising senior in the entire country and John Calipari is right in the thick of his recruitment

On Monday afternoon, On3’s Joe Tipton reported that Johnson has cut his list of potential schools down to just six. Kentucky, which has prioritized the class of 2024 shooting guard from Dallas, TX for nearly a year now, made the cut along with Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, Kansas, and Texas.

The Wildcats offered Johnson back in June 2022 on the very first day that coaches were allowed to make direct contact with high school junior prospects. He then took an official visit to UK this past January. Texas, Baylor, and Kansas have also received OVs from the Lake Highlands (TX) product.

“It’s their culture of winning, how they’ve won in the past,” Johnson recently told KSR’s Jack Pilgrim about his interest in the Wildcats. “(My lead recruiter) was KT (Turner) before but now it’s switched over to Coach Chin (Coleman). It’s been really good, they’ve just kind of picked up where KT left off.

“(Calipari) will let his guards play. If somebody is able to score, he’s going to let them score.”

NEWS: Tre Johnson, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2024 class, tells me he’s down to six schools.

Story: https://t.co/lvU26HylHz pic.twitter.com/J8WO2afJ3i

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) May 15, 2023

Recruiting experts are in agreement that Johnson is the top prospect from the class of 2024. All four of the major outlets — On3, 247Sports, Rivals, and ESPN — tab him as the No. 1 overall rising senior in the country, a position he’s held for several months now.

The in-state programs of Texas and Baylor have made significant pitches so far, but Texas’ loss of head coach Chris Beard following his domestic violence arrest could lower the Longhorns in the pecking order. If you ask Andrew Slater, who is known for having a reliable pulse on all things recruiting, he’d tell you it’s currently a battle between Baylor and Kentucky to land Johnson’s talents.

A commitment could be coming rather soon, too. Tipton notes that Johnson would like to make a decision ahead of this summer’s EYBL Peach Jam, which is set for July 3-9.

UK coaches have been in attendance for most of his games throughout the spring to watch him play AAU ball. Johnson is currently averaging 18.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game for Houston Hoops on the EYBL Circuit.