Texas Tech University Athletics
Toppin earns national, conference honors
January 19, 2026 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK – JT Toppin has earned Naismith National Player of the Week and Big 12 Player of the Week honors after a pair dominating performances last week in wins over Utah and BYU. Toppin, who is on a streak of seven straight double-doubles, averaged 29.0 points and 13.0 rebounds in the pair of victories to secure his second Big 12 Player of the Week honor and first national honor of the season.
Toppin is currently leading the Big 12 with 12 double-doubles this season, 11.2 rebounds per game and 4.71 offensive rebounds per game. He is fourth in the conference in scoring with 21.6 points per game which ranks 13th nationally after he produced 27 points and 13 rebounds in the win over BYU. Toppin leads the nation with 160 made field goals this season and went 3-for-4 on 3-pointers in both wins last week against Utah and BYU. He is second amongst all active players in the nation with 43 career double-doubles after also going for 31 points and 13 rebounds in the win over Utah last Wednesday. His double-double with 30-plus points against Utah was the seventh time in his career and fourth this season. Against Utah, Toppin became the first DI player to put up at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks in a game since Georgetown's Mike Sweetney on March 1, 2003. Toppin then put up 27 points and 12 rebounds against BYU, making him the second player to start Big 12 play with five straight double-doubles by Kevin Durant.Â
Toppin, who was the 2024-25 Big 12 Player of the Year and a Consensus Second Team All-America, has now earned four Big 12 Player of the Week honors in his career. His first this season came on January 5 after he opened conference play with 23 points and 14 rebounds against Oklahoma State.
A Wooden Award Midseason Watchlist selection, Toppin comes into the matchup at Baylor having already produced 1,414 points, 827 rebounds and 148 blocked shots through 86 career games. Toppin played his freshman season at New Mexico and has now played 50 games as a Red Raider where he has scored 969 points and has 501 rebounds – averaging 19.4 points and 10.0 rebounds in a Texas Tech uniform. His 43 career double-doubles are only behind 48 from Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan). Through five Big 12 games, Toppin is currently averaging 23.0 points, 12.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game in conference play.
He was joined on this week's Big 12 Starting Five by Jaden Bradley (Arizona), Themus Fulks (UCF), Baba Miller (Cincinnati) and Darryn Peterson (Kansas). Peterson was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week.
National recognition earned ??
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) January 19, 2026
Player of the Year conversation continues. https://t.co/yF5rh5YOGJ
Big 12 Player of the Week
Nov. 10 – Koa Peat, Arizona & Christian Anderson, Texas Tech
Nov. 17 – Kingston Flemings, Houston
Nov. 24 – P.J. Haggerty, K-State
Dec. 1 – Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State
Dec. 8 – Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State
Dec. 15 – Melvin Council Jr., Kansas
Dec. 22 – Christian Anderson, Texas Tech
Dec. 30 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Jan. 5 – JT Toppin, Texas TechÂ
Jan. 12 – Richie Saunders, BYU
Jan. 19 – JT Toppin, Texas Tech
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Big 12 Newcomer of the Week
Nov. 10 – Koa Peat, Arizona
Nov. 17 – Kingston Flemings, Houston
Nov. 24 – Koa Peat, Arizona
Dec. 1 – Moe Odum, Arizona State
Dec. 8 – Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor
Dec. 15 – Melvin Council Jr., Kansas
Dec. 22 – LeJuan Watts, Texas Tech
Dec. 30 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Jan. 5 – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
Jan. 12 – Honor Huff, West Virginia
Jan. 19 – Darryn Peterson, Kansas
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Big 12 Starting Five:
Jaden Bradley, Arizona
Themus Fulks, UCF
Baba Miller, Cincinnati
Darryn Peterson, Kansas (newcomer)
JT Toppin, Texas Tech (player)
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