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Arkansas HC John Calipari Praises Texas Guard Tre Johnson: 'He Has a Knack'

Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari had some high praise for Texas Longhorns guard Tre Johnson.
Zach Dimmitt|
Feb 5, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Tre Johnson (20) waits to shoot free throws during the first half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Feb 5, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Tre Johnson (20) waits to shoot free throws during the first half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

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Texas LonghornsArkansas Razorbacks

AUSTIN -- Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari met with the media following Wednesday's 78-70 win over the Texas Longhorns at the Moody Center and had some high praise for freshman guard Tre Johnson.

"I've recruited Tre since he was a sophomore, so I know he and his family well, and I've watched him grow. He's become more athletic, but for getting baskets. He does. And we were planning, if he had it going, we were going to trap. Somebody else is beating us, not him, and we kept the game at a distance, so we didn't."

Tre Johnso
Feb 5, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Tre Johnson (20) shoots over Arkansas Razorbacks forward Karter Knox (11) during the second half at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Johnson finished with a game-high 25 points on 6 of 22 shooting and 10 of 12 from the foul line.

"He's going to fill out. He's going to get stronger. The kid plays hard, you know? I mean, he'll get more physical. The one thing I'm going to tell you in in our game right now, there's a premium on being able to score baskets. ... I think they're doing exactly what they should do, create space and let him go get buckets for you, because they're demoralizing."

Calipari's plan against Johnson helped the Razorbacks jump out to a 23-point lead at one point, as the Arkansas defense did an impressive job of giving Johnson little space to operate or catch the ball. He got free in the paint a handful of times but was unable to finish in the interior at a consistent rate.

Johnson and the Longhorns will now look to regroup before visiting the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday.

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Zach Dimmitt
ZACH DIMMITT

Zach Dimmitt is the Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI. He also contributes as a writer for the On SI channels of the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Buffalo Bills on SI, Philadelphia Eagles on SI and Seattle Seahawks on SI. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Dimmitt received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He originally started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. In that time, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and has reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7

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