Texas Tech Forward JT Toppin Earns Karl Malone Award Midseason Honor

In the fast-paced world of college basketball, few players dominate the paint like Texas Tech junior JT Toppin. This week, his exceptional talent earned him national recognition, as the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame named Toppin a 2026 Karl Malone Award Midseason Top 10 selection. The honor celebrates the nation’s premier power forwards and puts Toppin firmly among the elite at his position.

Texas Tech's Forward JT Toppin Forces in the Paint

Toppin’s inclusion on the midseason list is hardly surprising. The Dallas native was a finalist for the award last season as a sophomore, and his continued dominance solidifies his reputation as a perennial national standout. This season, Toppin has been a powerhouse for coach Grant McCasland, controlling the glass and imposing his will on opponents night after night.

The standard at this point 😤@j1izzle earns a spot on the Karl Malone Award Midseason Watch List.#TTW | #MaloneAward pic.twitter.com/6gzcJ9v0je
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) February 5, 2026

Toppin leads the nation with 199 made field goals and ranks eighth in scoring with 21.8 points per game. On the boards, he pulls down 10.6 rebounds per contest, placing him sixth nationally, and he has recorded 14 double-doubles, also sixth in the country. Toppin has scored 20 or more points in 12 games this season and surpassed 30 points five times.

Over 90 career games, Toppin has compiled 1,504 points, 859 rebounds, and 45 double-doubles—a resume that already places him among Texas Tech’s all-time greats. Last season, he earned Big 12 Player of the Year and Consensus All-American honors. And he has carried that momentum into 2026, claiming Big 12 Player of the Week three times so far. His teammate Christian Anderson has also garnered national attention. That made him earn a Bob Cousy Award Midseason Top 10 selection.

The Karl Malone Award Midseason Top 10 list reads like a who’s who of college basketball talent. Toppin shares the spotlight with some of the nation’s top power forwards, including Koa Peat (Arizona), Cameron Boozer (Duke), Graham Ike (Gonzaga), Joshua Jefferson (Iowa State), Malik Reneau (Miami), Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan), Caleb Wilson (North Carolina), Trey Kaufman-Renn (Purdue), and Alex Karaban (UConn). Being named alongside these players underscores Toppin’s elite status nationally.

Fans Can Join the Selection Process

The Karl Malone Award has an interactive component that allows fans to participate in the voting process. Starting Friday, fans can cast votes in the remaining rounds at hoophallawards.com. Each fan vote counts as one committee vote. They will be giving Red Raider supporters a chance to directly influence the selection process.

In mid-March, the field will narrow to five finalists, who will then be presented to Karl Malone and the Hall of Fame selection committee. That includes top media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers to determine the ultimate winner.

Winning the Karl Malone Award places a player among the elite, joining a list of recent winners such as Johni Broome (Auburn, 2025), Obi Toppin (Dayton, 2020), Keegan Murray (Iowa, 2022), and Zion Williamson (Duke, 2019).

For JT Toppin, the pursuit of this prestigious award is about more than individual accolades. It’s more about leading Texas Tech through a challenging Big 12 schedule.

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