Texas Longhorns Top Prospect Has Showcase Chance In March Madness

The Texas Longhorn could get hot after the Play-in game and showcase Tre Johnson's scoring ability to shoot him up draft boards.

Texas guard Tre Johnson (20) keeps the ball away from Vanderbilt guard Chris Manon (30) during a NCAA college basketball first round game at the men’s Southeastern Conference Tournament Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. | Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

March Madness is here. Upsets, Cinderella stories, buzzer beaters and stock risers are all the rage. The 2025 NBA Draft cycle has heated up and the NCAA tournament is a showcase for top prospects to cement its draft stock after a strong body of work in the regular season.

The Texas Longhorns snuck into the big dance and will be forced into a play-in game for the right to the No. 11 seed against Xavier on Wednesday, March 19 at 8:10 PM CT. The winner of this game will get a chance to take on Illinois on Friday.

If Texas is able to capture a win tonight, it would go a long way in showcase scoring guard Tre Johnson, who should shoot up draft boards and make a run at a top five selection in June.

Not only would a win tonight be led by Johnson but he would have a chance in the next game to face off with a fellow draft prospect in a game in which the NBA world would have its sights on.

This season, Johnson is averaging 19.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.3 stocks per game while shooting 42% from the floor, 39% from 3-point land on 6.8 attempts and 89% at the charity stripe in 32 games. The Texas freshman also leads the country in minutes per game (34.6).

Johnson is one of the most prolific scorers in the draft class and a strong tournament run could certainly raise his Q-rating.

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