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 6, 2025

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

In this story:

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."

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.