Star forward JT Toppin's season-ending ACL tear devastates Texas Tech's March hopes as they navigate a crucial Big 12 stretch.
Texas Tech’s season just took a brutal turn. The Red Raiders announced Wednesday that star forward JT Toppin has suffered a torn ACL in his right knee and will miss the rest of the year, a crushing blow for a No. 13 team trying to position itself for March.
Toppin went down late in Tuesday’s 72-67 loss at Arizona State while attacking the rim with just over six minutes remaining.
He immediately grabbed his right leg and couldn’t continue, needing help to get off the floor. An MRI later confirmed the worst-case scenario.
It’s hard to overstate what Tech is losing. The 6-9 junior has been one of the most productive players in college basketball, posting 21.8 points per game while also leading the Red Raiders on the glass at 10.8 rebounds per night. He’s also been their most reliable rim protector, averaging 1.7 blocks per game.
Even in the brief window before the injury on Tuesday, Toppin was doing everything - 20 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four blocks - a snapshot of how much of Tech’s identity ran through him on both ends.
His stat profile put him in rare Big 12 territory, too. Only one player in league history has finished a season averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds: Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin in 2008-09. Toppin was tracking toward that kind of company.
Toppin has piled up 47 career double-doubles, the second-most among active players nationally, and he had already recorded 16 this season before the injury.
Since arriving in Lubbock, he’s produced 35 double-doubles in 58 games wearing a Texas Tech jersey - a nightly problem for opponents.
Toppin’s impact has followed him everywhere. After starting his career at New Mexico in 2023-24, the Texas native transferred to Texas Tech and immediately became a centerpiece.
Last season, he averaged 18.2 points and 9.4 rebounds, helping fuel an Elite Eight run. Along the way, he earned AP Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors and All-America recognition.
Now, the questions shift to what’s next - and fast.
Texas Tech (19-7) returns home for Kansas State on Saturday before hosting Cincinnati on Tuesday.
The Red Raiders have been strong in Lubbock, but replacing Toppin’s production won’t be about one player. It’ll take a full-rotation response - rebounding by committee, more rim protection, and someone to shoulder late-game scoring.
The Big 12 doesn’t give anyone time to grieve. Tech’s next chapter starts immediately.