Texas Tech University Athletics
Toppin earns The Sporting News All-America honors
March 12, 2025 | Men's Basketball
KANSAS CITY – JT Toppin has secured the first step towards unanimous and consensus all-America status by being named to The Sporting News All-America Second Team. A sophomore from Dallas, he enters the postseason after recording 14 double-doubles and averaging 18.1 points and 9.3 rebounds per game during the regular season.
Along with his selection by Sporting News magazine, Toppin has also earned Big 12 Player of the Year, Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, All-Big 12 First Team, All-Big 12 Newcomer Team and a Field of 68 All-America earlier this week. Toppin joins Paul Nolen (1950-51), Andre Emmett (2003-04), Keenan Evans (2017-18) and Jarrett Culver (2018-19) as Sporting News All-America selections in program history.
The Sporting News All-America First Team is comprised of Johni Broome (Auburn), Walter Clayton (Florida), Cooper Flagg (Duke), Mark Sears (Alabama) and Braden Smith (Purdue). Toppin is joined on the Sporting News All-America Second Team by Eric Dixon (Villanova), PJ Haggerty (Memphis), Kam Jones (Marquette) and John Tonje (Wisconsin) while the Third Team recognized L.J. Cryer (Houston), Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton), Chaz Lanier (Tennessee), RJ Luis (St. John's) and Zakai Ziegler (Tennessee).
Toppin scored 30 or more points in three games and 13 with 20-plus, highlighted by going for a career-high 41 points and 15 rebounds in a double-overtime win over Arizona State at home. He followed that performance with 32 points and 12 rebounds at Oklahoma State, and most recently posted a game against Colorado with 30 points and 14 rebounds in the home finale. Toppin, who went on a tear down the stretch where he averaged 24.4 points and 11.0 rebounds in the last 10 games, is in his first season at Texas Tech after transferring from New Mexico. He finished the regular season third in the Big 12 in scoring, rebounding and by shooting 55.8 percent from the field. His 14 double-doubles are the second most in program history and he enters the postseason with 1.3 blocks per game after having three in the regular-season finale at Arizona State. Toppin was a two-time Big 12 Player of the Week selection and earned four Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honors.
Earning Consensus All-America status also includes an aggregate from all-America teams selected by the Associated Press (AP), the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), and the United States Basketball Writers. A point system is in place once all awards are announced. Unanimous status comes with selections for each.
Toppin and the No. 9-ranked Red Raiders (24-7, 15-5 Big 12) open the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship with a 6 p.m. quarterfinal matchup on Thursday against either Baylor or Kansas State at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. The Bears and Wildcats play a second-round matchup at 6 p.m. tonight after K-State earned a 71-66 win over Arizona State on Tuesday night to advance.
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