Texas Tech University Athletics
Toppin named Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year
October 16, 2025 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK – Texas Tech junior JT Toppin has been named the 2025-26 Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year following a season where he earned Big 12 Player of the Year.
Toppin, who is the first Big 12 player to return after earning the league's top honor since Buddy Hield, joins Tech's all-time leading scorer, Andre Emmett, as the only Red Raiders to be selected as the Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year in program history. Emmett was named the 2003-04 Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year. A 6-foot-9 forward from Dallas, Toppin was also a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team. Hield was named the Big 12 Player of the Year in 2014-15, returned, and won the award again in 2015-16 to join Raef LaFrentz as the only two players to earn back-to-back Big 12 Player of the Year honors in conference history.
Along with being named the Big 12 Player of the Year last season as a sophomore, Toppin also earned consensus all-America, Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and All-Big 12 First Team honors. He led the Red Raiders with 18.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 19 double-doubles - recording a double-double in all four NCAA Tournament games last season and had a double-double in eight of the last 10 games of the season. Toppin scored a season-high 41 points and added 15 rebounds in a double-overtime win over Arizona State and finished the season scoring in double figures in a team high 28 games – including 15 straight to conclude the season. Within his 19 double-doubles, Toppin recorded three with 30-plus points including going for 32 points and 12 rebounds at Oklahoma State and producing 30 points and 14 rebounds in the home finale against Colorado.
Toppin, who played his freshman season at New Mexico before transferring, enters his third collegiate season with 1,047 points, 636 rebounds, 116 blocks and 31 double-doubles through 69 career games. The Red Raiders are set to open their season on November 4 against Lindenwood at United Supermarkets Arena.
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