A top-five recruit in the class of 2024 named to the MaxPreps Sophomore All-America First Team, Tre Johnson of Lake Highlands (TX) and Team Griffin (OK) averaged 23.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game to lead his high school team to the third round of the Class 6A state tournament this past season. Playing up on the 17U Nike EYBL basketball circuit with ‘23 Brandon Garrison and ‘24 David Castillo, the 6’6” guard possesses an elite scoring package and advanced floor game, showing fluidity as an off-the-dribble shooter and basketball IQ as a creator. Johnson is a skilled all-around player and definitely a long-term prospect to track very closely.
As part of the Pro Insight Q&A series, Johnson discussed the involvement of blue bloods in his recruitment update, looking up to Texas native and current Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey, having a mindset of confidence and impactfulness regardless of bad games, and more.
For the next installment of the Pro Insight Q&A series, we present 2024 prospect Tre Johnson, from Dallas, Texas:
Pro Insight: How did you get to where you are today? Talk a bit about your background and family.
Tre Johnson: I think all the hard work I put in the gym has helped me get to where I am right now. I have always been close to my family and me and all my family members have good relationships. Some people in my family were good athletes, some were even good enough to be pros, but they made mistakes which took them a different route and now they help me not make the same mistakes.
PI: Who all in your family played sports?
TJ: My dad played basketball and some of my cousins were good football players and my dad's father was a boxer.
PI: When did you primarily start to focus on basketball?
TJ: When I was five or six [years old], that’s when I first really started playing basketball, but then I was playing other sports to see which I liked. In fifth grade after I got hurt for the first time playing football, that’s when I decided to hang it up and just focus on basketball.
PI: Which sports did you play growing up?
TJ: [When] I was younger, I played soccer, football, and basketball. I stopped playing soccer at a very young age and stopped playing football in fifth grade.
PI: For those who aren’t familiar with your game, what are your greatest strengths?
TJ: My greatest strengths in my game are my shooting and just my shotmaking. I also have great IQ and great passing ability. My on-ball defense is also becoming better, so I’m pushing to become more of a two-way guard.
PI: Who do you model your game after or study on film?
TJ: Jayson Tatum and Kevin Durant.
PI: What type of leader are you?
TJ: I am a very vocal leader, but I am not a leader that tells people what to do when I am not doing what I am supposed to be doing.
PI: What are your current measurements?
TJ: I am 6’6”, 185 [pounds] with a 6’8” wingspan and a 37-inch vertical.
PI: What do you feel you still need to improve on the most? What have you been working on?
TJ: I feel like I need to improve the most on my on-ball defense and ball-handling. Those are things I am already good at, but I feel like if I perfect those two I can be the best player in the world. I’ve been working on my quickness and my shiftiness.
PI: Do you have a training regimen? Who do you train with?
TJ: I train with my dad most of the time. I sometimes workout with other people, but mainly my dad
PI: What are your short term goals you have for yourself as a player?
TJ: Short term goals I have is to become more flexible and become quicker and faster.
PI: Describe your experience with Team Griffin.
TJ: I like playing on Team Griffin. We have good coaches who are on to us and help us become better players overall and they put us in the correct spots to get the most opportunities.
PI: How would you describe your connection with David Castillo?
TJ: We have a good connection. We get along on and off the court very well. I feel the stronger our connection is built and we are on the same page, the better our team will be.
PI: How do you see your role at the next level?
TJ: My role at the next level will be to be a playmaker, someone the coach goes to if we need to score or to create someone else an open shot. And I could go and guard the other team's best player.
PI: What is your recruitment update?
TJ: My most recent offers have been from Jackson State and TCU and Kansas. Very excited to have picked up those two high major offers and have been getting some more interest from other big Division 1 schools.
PI: Do you have a dream school growing up?
TJ: When I was in middle school, my dream was Kentucky because that’s where Tyrese Maxey had went to college. I like Tyrese as a player because I grew up watching him a lot when I was younger and when he went to Kentucky, they became my dream school.
PI: Who have you been hearing from the most, lately?
TJ: I’ve been hearing from Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Arkansas.
PI: There are a lot more post-grad options available these days with G League Ignite, OTE, and NBL, among others. Have you and your family done much research into those opportunities?
TJ: No, we haven’t done a whole bunch of research on any of them, but we are just now starting to look into OTE and see what it's about.
PI: What will ultimately be your deciding factors when making your choice?
TJ: To go to a place where guards have freedom to do the things they do in practice in the game.
PI: What are your biggest interests outside of basketball?
TJ: I like to listen to music and I like to draw.
PI: Who are your favorite music artists?
TJ: NBA Youngboy, Rod Wave, Lil Durk and a couple more artists.
PI: If you were stuck forever on a deserted island and had all the food, water, and shelter you needed — what three personal items would you bring?
TJ: A book, my phone, and scratch sheets of paper.
PI: You have one hashtag to describe yourself. What is it?
TJ: #neversatisfied.
PI: If you woke up tomorrow to see a fortune in your bank account, what would be your first purchase?
TJ: A new house.
PI: If you weren’t pursuing a career as a professional hooper, what do you think you would choose to do?
TJ: I’d probably play football.
PI: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
TJ: The best piece of advice was to not listen to how good people say I am. Listen to the ones who tell me the things I did wrong and need to work on even after I have a great game.
PI: Who’s someone you really look up to?
TJ: I look up to Tyrese Maxey.
PI: What’s your biggest pet peeve?
TJ: My biggest pet peeve is when people say they can’t do something. I hate hearing that or saying something is impossible.
PI: Are you an introvert or extrovert?
TJ: I am an introvert. I speak out when I have to.
PI: Talk about a time or story in your life that you feel has really shaped who you are today.
TJ: Whenever I have bad games like whenever I am on a big stage and I have a bad game or a bad shooting game, those are times that shape me into who I am because I find a way to impact the game a different way and I always keep my confidence and bounce back.
PI: How have you handled and responded to adversity in your life?
TJ: I respond to adversity very well because I am very good at adapting to change.
PI: How would you define the word ‘success?’
TJ: Success in my definition wouldn’t be what someone accomplishes. I would measure success to where you have come from. If you were born on top, if you don’t push yourself you would still be on top, then you weren’t very successful, but if you came from the bottom and ended up on top, that means you pushed yourself and you became a very successful person.
PI: Besides the NBA, where do you see yourself in five years?
TJ: In a house with a dog living my best life still grinding in the gym.
PI: Name four words that best describe you (four separate words).
TJ: Funny. Quiet. Athletic. Intelligent.
PI: At the end of the day, what do you hope to be remembered for?
TJ: Someone who made it big, but never forgot where they came from. I made enough money in my life to give back to my community.