Texas Tech's Toppin Named Naismith National and Big 12 Player of the Week
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The national spotlight is shining brightly on Lubbock, and it is following one name. Texas Tech star JT Toppin has been named the Naismith National Player of the Week.
He did it after delivering one of the most dominant stretches of basketball in the country. The honor, announced Monday, came alongside his second Big 12 Player of the Week award this season.
Texas Tech's JT Toppin's Week That Turned Heads Nationwide
For Toppin, this marks his first national weekly award of the 2025–26 season and represents a major step from conference star to full-fledged National Player of the Year contender. His performances last week did not just help Texas Tech win. They redefined what dominance looks like in the Big 12.
Another nod to @j1izzle 😤
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) January 19, 2026
Not only @NaismithTrophy Player of the Week, but also @Big12Conference Player of the Week! pic.twitter.com/dDs9jmpJGt
The awards followed an extraordinary two-game run against Utah and BYU. That's where Toppin delivered numbers that felt almost unreal. Across those victories, he averaged 29.0 points and 13.0 rebounds. That extends his streak to seven straight double-doubles and anchors Texas Tech’s continued rise in the national rankings.
What separated this week from others around the country was the completeness of Toppin’s game. In the win over Utah, he became the first Division I player since Georgetown’s Mike Sweetney on March 1, 2003, to post at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and five blocks in a single contest. It was a historic performance that instantly resonated beyond the Big 12.
Against Utah, Toppin was simply overwhelming. He poured in 31 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, marking the seventh 30-point double-double of his career and his fourth already this season. Utah had no answer for his presence on either end of the floor.
He followed that effort with another commanding showing against BYU, scoring 27 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. With that performance, Toppin became just the second player to open Big 12 play with five consecutive double-doubles, joining Kevin Durant.
Building a Dominant Texas Tech Legacy
The numbers behind Toppin’s season explain why the accolades keep coming. He currently leads the Big 12 in double-doubles with 12, rebounds per game at 11.2, and offensive rebounds per game at 4.71.
Toppin is averaging 21.6 points per game, ranking fourth in the Big 12 and 13th nationally. He also sits second among all active Division I players with 43 career double-doubles, trailing only Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg.
As Texas Tech prepares for a pivotal road test at Baylor, Toppin’s career numbers tell the story of a player hitting his peak. In 86 collegiate games, he has totaled 1,414 points, 827 rebounds, and 148 blocks.
His production since arriving in Lubbock has reached another level. In 50 games as a Red Raider, Toppin has scored 969 points and collected 501 rebounds, averaging 19.4 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. In Big 12 play this season, those numbers jump to 23.0 points and 12.8 rebounds across five games.
Toppin is a Consensus Second Team All-American from 2024–25, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year. And a member of the 2025–26 Wooden Award Midseason Watchlist. He was also named Mountain West Freshman of the Year during the 2023–24 season at New Mexico.
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.