A Look Into JT Toppin's Dominant 2026 Season For Texas Tech
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The Texas Tech Red Raiders have been on fire on the hardwood as of late, comprising a 6-1 conference record, only trailing the undefeated Arizona Wildcats in the Big 12 standings.
While many knew that the Red Raiders were capable of competing with the conference's top teams such as the Houston Cougars and the BYU Cougars, there's one critical part of the Texas Tech roster that has given them a clear edge over their competition.
Star junior forward JT Toppin.
Toppin, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year, has made it clear that he intends to repeat as such while leading Texas Tech to the NCAA Tournament, and he could very well be on his way to accomplishing both.
The Dallas native has been a highlight for the Red Raiders since transferring over from the New Mexico Lobos following his freshman season in 2024, and it has been his stellar performances that have made Texas Tech the heavy hitters that they have been in the 2025-26 season.
Thanks to a myriad of double-doubles (10 in his last 12 games), the 6'9 forward is currently averaging 22.1 points and 10.9 rebounds per game, good enough for eighth and sixth in the nation, respectively.
His most recent performance in Tech's 90-86 win over the Houston Cougars saw him put up 31 points for the fourth time in the year and also grab 12 boards while also notching a trio of assists.
The big man has recorded a double-double in every conference game for the season except for one, only cleaning four boards while putting in 22 points against the Baylor Bears last Tuesday.
But any performance that he has had like that can easily be balanced out with efforts like the one against the New Orleans Privateers back in November, where Toppin tallied 19 points and 16 rebounds in the Red Raiders' dominant 82-50 win.
In Texas Tech's 88-74 win over the Utah Utes, the All-Big 12 first teamer even came close to a triple-double with 31 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists.
That exact game and the first matchup against Houston also showed off Toppin's prowess on the defensive end of the floor, specifically in the blocks category, where he recorded five in both contests.
The only part of Toppin's game that might get some ill looks is his three-point shooting, which is at just 25 percent, but with his efficiency in other areas on the floor, including his free throw percentage that has steadily increased throughout the year, that could simply be chalked up as something to improve.
With how unstoppable Toppin has been in the 2025-26 season and just with Texas Tech in general, it shouldn't come as any shock that the Red Raiders are keeping up with some of the country's best collegiate hoops teams, which should gear up Toppin for an early exit on draft night whenever he goes to the NBA.
The Red Raiders hit the road this weekend to take on the UCF Knights in Orlando at 11:00 AM on Saturday.
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Aaron Raley is a writer covering the Texas Tech On SI. Born and raised in Northeast Texas, Aaron earned a degree from Texas A&M University in journalism, with minors in history and sports management. Aaron’s writing abilities are driven by his love and passion for various sports, both at the collegiate and professional levels, as well as his experience in playing sports, especially baseball and football.
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