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Texas Tech misplaced greater than a sport out in Tempe, as its males’s basketball program introduced that JT Topping would miss the remainder of the marketing campaign.
A males’s basketball showdown towards the Arizona State Solar Devils proved to be hellish in additional methods than one for the Texas Tech Pink Raiders.
Texas Tech introduced that star ahead JT Toppin would miss the remainder of the 2025-26 marketing campaign on Wednesday, confirming that he tore his ACL of their most up-to-date Massive 12 contest. Toppin took a tumble in the course of the latter levels of Tuesday’s tilt, which noticed ASU upset the Thirteenth-ranked Pink Raiders 72-67. Texas Tech entered the competition No. 9 within the newest Ballislife Energy Rankings, however clearly will not have a simple time retaining its place transferring ahead.
Thus ends Toppin’s second season in Lubbock, one the place he was averaging a double-double at 21.8 factors and 10.8 rebounds a sport. The Dallas native turned simply the second Pink Raider to win the Massive 12 Participant of the 12 months Award on the boys’s stage (becoming a member of Jarrett Culver from 2019) and people efforts helped Texas Tech attain the regional closing spherical of the 2025 NCAA Event for the primary time since their nationwide championship run seven years in the past.
Tech Will Be Exhausting Pressed to Substitute Toppin’s Body
Getting into Wednesday play, Texas Tech (19-7, 9-4 Massive 12) positioned fifth in its convention, two video games behind chief Houston. The Pink Raiders had beforehand earned an exhilarating 78-75 time beyond regulation victory over then-No. 1 Arizona on Saturday in Tucson, one which noticed Toppin pair 31 factors with 13 boards.
Taking up for Toppin’s scoring should not be an excessive amount of of a dire problem, as Christian Anderson Jr. and Donovan Atwell have mixed to common about 30 factors a sport. Dropping his 6-9, 225-lb. body, nevertheless, might show expensive because the Pink Raiders search one other deep match run.
Even with the backcourt names dealing with enterprise, Tech might additionally flip to the 6-6 LeJuan Watts for a heavier offensive load and variety in its capturing sport now that Toppin’s work by the basket is gone. Watts started the month with a 19-point, 12-rebound effort in a loss to Kansas, however has but to succeed in double-figures in both class during the last 4 video games, which have seen him shoot underneath 30 % from the sector.
JT Toppin, the reigning Massive 12 Participant of the 12 months, is the one participant in D-I averaging 20 factors and 10 rebounds per sport this season.
He finishes as one among 5 gamers to take action in a season in Massive 12 historical past, becoming a member of:🏀 2008-09 Blake Griffin🏀 2007-08 Michael Beasley🏀… pic.twitter.com/LYMD91f39Y
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) February 18, 2026
Even with Toppin’s inside prowess, TTU ranks towards the center of the Massive 12 pack with regards to rebounding rankings: the Pink Raiders place ninth in common boards allowed per sport and seventh in margin (plus-3.4) to this point this season. That wrestle might additionally open up a possibility for sophomore switch Luke Bamgboye, a 6-11 heart from London. Previously of VCU, Bamgboye will not be a lot of a menace on offense however is averaging underneath 9 boards per 40 minutes.
The post-Toppin period will get underway when Saturday when the Pink Raiders host Kansas State (1:30 p.m. CT, Fox). The ultimate miles of the highway to Kansas Metropolis’s convention match will get no simpler after the weekend, as visits to Iowa State and BYU loom equally massive.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
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