Texas Tech Left With No Clear JT Toppin Replacement After Devastating Injury
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Texas Tech men's basketball has been left with no clear replacement for junior forward JT Toppin, who suffered a torn ACL in his right knee Tuesday night against Arizona State.
ESPN college basketball analyst Seth Greenberg broke down Tech's irreplaceable void following the devastating Toppin news.
"It's devastating, I mean this guy could have been Big 12 Player of the Year. They have no one to replace him. You can't replace, in February, a JT Toppin," Greenberg said on SportsCenter. "They're limited in their frontcourt as it is.
"Devastated for the team, devastated for this young man. This team has played so well all season long. They've overachieved. They play so hard, they're so connected. Christian Anderson and Toppin are a dynamic two-man game together. You feel for him, you feel for the program."
"You can't replace, in February, a JT Toppin." @SethOnHoops outlines the impact of JT Toppin's season-ending injury for Texas Tech ✍️ pic.twitter.com/oYOv3xfmzH
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 19, 2026
Toppin is certainly irreplaceable given his performance this season. He averaged 21.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game and leads the nation with 234 made field goals and in his second year at Tech.
Nevertheless, the Red Raiders will have to find a way to keep chugging along.
What Players Need to Step Up in JT Toppin's Absence?
Anderson is the presumed solution for Texas Tech's woes. However, the Red Raiders have already relied on Anderson throughout the year as Toppin and the sophomore were slated as a dynamic duo.
There are three players who will need to step up in Toppin's absence: Luke Bamgboye, LeJuan Watts and Josiah Moseley, according to Nathan Giese of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
"Watts especially needs to step up his offensive game. The Washington State transfer is fourth on the team in scoring average (11.9) and second in rebounds (6.5), but has been wildly inconsistent over the last few weeks," Giese writes.
"Bambgoye's offensive skill set is limited to mostly lob threats and putbacks on the offensive boards. Moseley has more versatility in the limited time he's seen the floor since returning to action in late January. Combined, they'll need to find a balance on both ends of the floor."
Texas Tech's Biggest Problem Without JT Toppin
Head coach Grant McCasland has prioritized defense all season long and this is where the Red Raiders are now the most vulnerable in Toppin's absence. Tech will be missing an elite interior defender moving forward.
Much of the junior's success on the defensive side of the ball was because of his decision to buy into McCasland's emphasis this season.
"It's really a decision at the end of the day. If the whole team decides that they want to play defense and just play for each other, communicate. Because communication is a big part of it. So I think it's definitely a decision," Toppin said in a recent interview on The Jim Rome Show.
"Everybody's not willing to do it. The teams that are willing to do it are the teams that are going to be most successful."
Now, the Red Raiders will have to find a way to play efficient defense without Toppin leading the squad.
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Valentina Martinez is an On SI writer. She has in depth knowledge of the college sports community and has covered professional sports extensively. She is a graduate of Arizona State University and covered Sun Devil Football, Men's Basketball, Baseball, Women's Volleyball and Softball.