Former Lake Highlands High School standout Tre Johnson has been named a finalist for the Jerry West Award, an annual honor bestowed upon the NCAA’s top Division 1 shooting guard.
Tre Johnson in the Alamodome.
On March 4, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Johnson and four others as finalists for the 2025 Jerry West Award. The honor, which was first awarded in 2015, is named after the late Jerry West, a member of the 1980 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class and 1972 NBA Champion.
The former UIL 6A Division 1 state champion with LHHS currently leads both the SEC and all Division 1 freshmen in scoring with 20.6 points per game. Johnson averages 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 0.9 steals per game. Also nominated for the award are: Caleb Love (Arizona), V.J. Edgecombe (Baylor), P.J. Haggerty (Memphis) and Chaz Lanier (Tennessee)
He was also named SEC Freshman of the Week this past week following a two game stretch in which he averaged 25.5 points per game on 48.6 percent shooting from the field. Last Wednesday, Johnson set a Texas freshman record after he scored 39 points in an overtime loss to Arkansas. The record was previously held by Kevin Durant.
Johnson has now been named Freshman of the Week five times this season, having previously been named on Nov. 11, Jan. 27, Feb. 3 and Feb. 17.
The 6 foot 6 guard is drawing national attention as the NBA Draft creeps closer. With many speculating that Johnson will declare for the draft following the end of the season, USA Today’s most recent mock draft has him as the seventh overall pick.
Johnson won the UIL 6A Division 1 Basketball State Championship in 2023 with the Wildcats before transferring to Link Academy for his senior season.
The winner of the 2025 Jerry West Award will be announced at a date TBD. A winner will be chosen by a selection committee made up of media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers. Fans will also have a chance to vote for the award with the fan vote, the winner of which will receive one committee vote. Voting opens on March 7.
