JT Toppin Isn’t Just Holding His Ground in the Big 12-He’s Dominating It
In a college basketball season packed with elite freshmen and NBA-bound phenoms, the Big 12 has become a proving ground for the next generation of stars. Names like AJ Dybantsa, Koa Peat, Darryn Peterson, and Kingston Flemings are already lighting up highlight reels and draft boards. Flemings, for instance, just dropped 42 points in a game that had scouts buzzing.
But while the spotlight shines on the newcomers, the most complete player in the conference might be a junior who’s already been through the wars-and come back better for it.
Texas Tech’s JT Toppin isn’t just keeping pace with the Big 12’s youth movement. He’s outplaying it.
A Veteran Among Stars
Now in his third season, Toppin made the decision to return to Lubbock with one goal in mind: a deeper run in March. The 6-foot-9 forward from Dallas was already a force last season, but the question was whether he had another level to reach. Turns out, he did-and then some.
Toppin has added new layers to his game, and the result has been a dominant stretch that’s made him the most valuable player in the conference, even if he’s not the most talked about.
He recently went toe-to-toe with Houston’s Kingston Flemings-yes, the same Flemings who just hung 42 points on the board-and led the Red Raiders to a 90-86 win. Toppin finished with a monster stat line: 31 points, 12 rebounds, and six offensive boards. It was his 13th double-double of the season, putting him well on pace to surpass last year’s mark of 14 in the regular season (he added five more in the postseason).
He’s also posted five 30-point games this year after hitting that mark three times last season. And with 11 regular-season games still to go, the numbers suggest he’s just getting started.
The Evolution of JT Toppin
Toppin’s game has always been built on effort and athleticism-his second jump might be the quickest in the country-but this year, he’s added nuance. He’s not just outworking opponents; he’s outsmarting them.
Take his signature left-handed hook shot. Teams have keyed in on it, trying to force him away from that right shoulder.
But Toppin has countered by developing his off-hand. He’s now finishing with his right, a skill that simply wasn’t in his bag during his first two seasons.
He’s also become more of a creator. Toppin is initiating offense from beyond the arc, putting the ball on the floor and attacking like a guard. Against Houston, he flashed improved ball-handling and court vision, reading help defenders and making plays that opened up the entire Red Raider offense.
And then there’s the free-throw line. Toppin struggled there early in the season, hitting just 45% during non-conference play. But since Big 12 action started, he’s turned it around, knocking down 76% of his attempts and going 7-of-8 against Houston.
It’s not just about the stats, though. It’s how he’s doing it-against the best.
In that Houston game, Toppin spent most of his minutes battling Joseph Tugler, widely regarded as the top interior defender in the country. The two went at it possession after possession, pushing, shoving, scrapping for every inch.
And yet, between whistles, there was mutual respect-handshakes, pats on the back, and a shared understanding of what it means to compete at the highest level.
“We just understand we’re both trying to help our team win,” Toppin said. “We just got a lot of respect for each other, how hard we play. We play at a level of intensity that not really a lot of bigs play at.”
The Big 12 POY Race: Is Toppin Being Overlooked?
With national awards talk heating up, Toppin’s name hasn’t been front and center. Part of that is the attention being paid to draft-eligible freshmen. Part of it is that he shares the stage with another standout in Christian Anderson, and sometimes great teammates unintentionally cancel each other out in the eyes of voters.
But those inside the Red Raiders program know exactly what they have.
“JT is impacting winning at the highest level,” said head coach Grant McCasland. “On defense and offense, on rebounding, on putting pressure on the rim, on handling double teams, on making the right play, on willing our team to victory, on talking in timeouts at halftime, telling the truth and telling [them] the fight that we need.”
That kind of leadership doesn’t show up in box scores, but it’s what separates good players from great ones. And make no mistake-Toppin is playing great basketball.
He’s trying to become just the third player in Big 12 history to repeat as Player of the Year, and based on what we’ve seen so far, he’s got a compelling case. But for that to happen, Texas Tech has to keep winning. That’s the reality of award season-it’s not just about individual brilliance, it’s about team success.
If the Red Raiders keep stacking wins, Toppin’s name won’t just be in the conversation. It might be at the top of the list.
Because while the freshmen are grabbing headlines, it’s the junior from Dallas who’s quietly putting together one of the most complete seasons in college basketball.