With 17:07 remaining in the second half of Texas‘ showdown against in-state rival Texas A&M, the Longhorns faced a 22-point deficit, Texas roared back behind 24 points after intermission from star freshman Tre Johnson to escape with a 70-69 win.
Johnson knocked down four 3-pointers and connected on all 10 of his free throw attempts. Johnson finished with a career-high 30 points and was an integral part of the Longhorns’ dramatic comeback win. Texas lost the first matchup to Texas A&M earlier this season in College Station 80-60.
The win by Texas was key for its hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament. The Longhorns are currently listed as one of the “Last Four In” by CBS Sports’ Bracketology Expert Jerry Palm. With games against Ole Miss, LSU and Arkansas coming up, Johnson will be relied on to keep Texas above the cut line.
Let’s jump into our rankings and get to the latest CBS Sports/USBWA Freshman of the Week for the 2024-25 college basketball season.
Freshman of the Week: Tre Johnson, Texas
Welcome back to the Frosh Watch, our weekly ranking of the five most impressive freshmen in college basketball. CBS Sports has once again teamed up with the United States Basketball Writers Association and its Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award to present this every-Tuesday feature. Each week we’ll start by announcing the national Freshman of the Week honoree. The cycle for FOTW runs Tuesday-Monday.
Johnson had himself a day in the win over Texas A&M. Johnson logged a career-high 30 points, marking the sixth time the star freshman has scored at least 20 points. Johnson scored 29 points — his previous career-high — in his collegiate debut against Ohio State.
The former No. 6 overall player in the 2024 recruiting cycle by 247Sports has been one of the best scorers in the country. Johnson is averaging 18.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 32.7 minutes per game.
Previous Freshman of the Week winners
- Nov. 12: Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn
- Nov. 19: Joson Sanon, Arizona State
- Nov. 26: Labaron Philon, Alabama
- Dec. 3: Dylan Harper, Rutgers
- Dec. 10: Cooper Flagg, Duke
- Dec. 17: Liam McNeeley, UConn
- Dec. 24: Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma
- Dec. 31: Ian Jackson, North Carolina
- Jan. 7: Cooper Flagg, Duke
- Jan. 14: Cooper Flagg: Duke
- Jan. 21: Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn
Frosh Watch: Ranking top 5 freshman
1. Cooper Flagg | G/F | Duke
Stats: 19.5 PPG | 8.0 RPG | 4.2 APG
Flagg recorded his third consecutive game with at least 20 points in his team’s 74-64 win over NC State on Monday. Flagg finished with 28 points, seven rebounds and three assists. The Blue Devils have won 14th consecutive games ahead of a huge matchup against in-state rival North Carolina this weekend. Last week: 1
2. Dylan Harper | G | Rutgers
Stats: 18.6 PPG | 4.8 RPG | 4.1 RPG
Harper logged only 13 minutes against Michigan State and came off the bench in the 81-74 loss at Madison Square Garden. Harper finished with six points and a steal. Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell told reporters after the game that Harper is dealing with an ankle sprain that “needs a little more time” to heal. Last week: 2
3. Ace Bailey | G/F | Rutgers
Stats: 19.8 PPG | 7.9 RPG | 1.1 SPG
Without Harper in the starting lineup, Bailey became the clear No. 1 option. Bailey struggled to find his shot (4 of 17 from the floor) but scored 18 rebounds and added nine rebounds in the loss. Last week: 3
4. Kasparas Jakučionis | G/F | Illinois
Stats: 15.9 PPG | 5.1 RPG | 5.3 APG
Jakučionis recorded a near triple-double (11 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists) in an 83-74 win over Northwestern. Jakučionis also finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists against Maryland earlier in that week. Last week: 4
5. Tre Johnson | G | Texas
Stats: 18.8 PPG | 2.7 RPG | 2.1 APG
Johnson had another big-time scoring performance in Texas’ win over Texas A&M. The star freshman scored a career-high 30 points. Johnson has scored at least 20 points in six games this season. Last week: NR
