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LUBBOCK, Texas — The look ahead to Texas Tech ahead JT Toppin to get again on the court docket after turning down the NBA within the offseason was longer than anticipated. A couple of days after a decrease physique damage stored him out of No. 10 Texas Tech’s season-opening win towards Lindenwood on Monday, it did not take Toppin lengthy to point out he is prepared for the 2025-26 season in Friday’s 98-77 win towards Sam Houston.
Toppin gained the opening tip for the Crimson Raiders and scored his first layup 16 seconds into the sport. He rapidly blocked a shot, grabbed a rebound and powered by for one more layup. At the same time as Sam Houston ran a couple of spectacular offensive units to maintain the sport shut for a half, Toppin’s gravity wore the Bearkats down.
“I used to be slightly winded, simply first recreation,” Toppin mentioned. “However it was thrilling to get again on the market and share the court docket with my teammates.”
Laborious to cease Toppin
If Toppin’s efficiency was a diminished model, Texas Tech’s potential is limitless. Toppin completed with 31 factors and 14 rebounds in 32 minutes. He added 4 assists, three steals and a block. However most harmful, he was relentless attacking the basket.
Sam Houston threw a number of our bodies at Toppin throughout the ground, however none had been capable of comprise him. Toppin was fouled 13 occasions and helped foul out two of Sam Houston’s gamers. He shot 10 of 16 on 2-point makes an attempt, at the same time as he tried to stretch his vary out to the 3-point line.
Later within the recreation, he began settling down and whipping passes from the mid-post out to open shooters. His 4 assists matches his season excessive from the 2025 season; a 30% help fee within the recreation tripled his earlier season mark.
“Let’s not take it as a right,” Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland mentioned. “He is gotten higher and can hold getting higher… Earlier than his damage, he was citing the ball in transition. Passes he was making out of the publish tonight, he was making in transition. His ball dealing with is tight. That is the place he is improved essentially the most.”
Of their first recreation with all of the items out there, the Crimson Raiders had been sloppy for stretches on protection. The Bearkats had 18 offensive rebounds and linked on half of their 3-pointers within the first half, which opened up drives to the basket.
Nonetheless, level guard Christian Anderson and Toppin had been steadying forces within the second half for the roster. Newcomer Donovan Atwell was additionally large, hitting six 3-pointers, with a number of coming off passes from Toppin and Anderson. The duo had 11 mixed assists, matching the quantity Sam Houston produced throughout the sport.
Crimson Raiders pondering huge
Expectations have been excessive for Texas Tech heading right into a heralded season. Toppin was projected as a possible first spherical NBA Draft decide, however turned down the draft after the Crimson Raiders made a powerful monetary provide for him to stay round. This system additionally retained Anderson and landed a stacked portal class.
Three of Texas Tech’s 5 starters towards Sam Houston had been newcomers, whereas Massive 12 Newcomer of the Yr LeJuan Watts got here off the bench.
This weekend can be a giant one for the athletic division. Texas Tech’s soccer group hosts No. 7 BYU in one of many college’s most high-profile matchups ever. A number of basketball gamers got here by a pregame campout at “Raiderville” handy out pizzas, signal autographs and take footage with followers. The 2025-26 college 12 months marks maybe essentially the most pivotal in Texas Tech historical past, and a transient basketball roster has felt the stress.
The win was solely a primary look of what Texas Tech can accomplish, particularly because the roster will get more healthy. But when Toppin performs just like the First Staff All-American that he’s, the Crimson Raiders will probably be robust to cease. A street journey to No. 17 Illinois on Tuesday is an early proving floor.
“I do not assume we have practiced as an entire sufficient for us to be at our greatest but,” McCasland mentioned. “We have got the best items. We have simply obtained to maintain getting higher.”
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