LUBBOCK, Texas – Waiting for Texas Tech forward JT Toppin to return to the field after declining an offer NBA The off season was longer than expected. Just days after a lower-body injury kept him out of No. 10 Texas Tech’s season-opening win against Lindenwood on Monday, it didn’t take Toppin long to show he’s ready for the 2025-26 season in Friday’s 98-77 win over Sam Houston.
Toppin won the opening tip for the Red Raiders and scored his first layup 16 seconds into the game. He quickly blocked the shot, grabbed the rebound and converted another corner kick. Even when Sam Houston ran a couple of impressive offensive combinations to keep the game close for a half-hour, Toppin’s gravity wore down the Bearcats.
“I was a little nervous, just the first game,” Tobin said. “But it was exciting to get back out there and share the field with my teammates.”
It’s hard to stop Tobin
If Toppin’s performance is a diminished facsimile, Texas Tech’s potential is limitless. Toppin finished with 31 points and 14 rebounds in 32 minutes. He added four assists, three steals and a block. But what was more dangerous was that he was relentlessly attacking the basket.
Sam Houston threw several bodies at Tobin on the ground, but none of them could contain him. Toppin was fouled 13 times and assisted on two Sam Houston players. He shot 10 of 16 on two-point attempts, even when he tried to extend his range to the three-point line.
Later in the game, he began to settle down and pass the ball from the middle of the post to the outside to open up the shooters. His four assists match his season high since the 2025 season; His 30% assist rate per game tripled the previous season’s mark.
“Let’s not take it for granted,” Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said. “He’s gotten better and he’s going to continue to get better… Before his injury, he was moving the ball in transition. He was making passes off the post tonight, he was making passes in transition. His ball handling is tight. That’s where he’s improved the most.”
In their first game with all the pieces in place, the Red Raiders were sloppy on defense. The Bearkats grabbed 18 offensive rebounds and connected on half of their 3-pointers in the first half, opening up drives to the basket.
However, point guards Christian Anderson and Toppin were steadying the roster’s second-half run. Newcomer Donovan Atwell was also impressive, hitting six 3-pointers, with multiple assists from Toppin and Anderson. The duo had 11 assists, matching Sam Houston’s number across the game.
The Red Raiders think big
Expectations were high for Texas Tech heading into a promising season. Toppin has been projected as a potential first-round pick NBA draft pick, but he declined the draft after the Red Raiders made a strong financial offer for him to stay. The program also retained Anderson and had a stacked gate class.
Three of Texas Tech’s starting five starters against Sam Houston were newcomers, while LeJuan Watts came off the bench as the Big 12 Rookie of the Year.
This weekend is also a big holiday for the athletic department. Texas Tech’s football team hosts No. 7 BYU in one of the school’s most iconic matchups of all-time. Several basketball players attended a pre-game camp in “Raiderville” to hand out pizza, sign autographs and take pictures with fans. The 2025-26 school year represents perhaps the most important school year in Texas Tech history, and the interim basketball roster has been feeling the pressure.
The win was just the first look at what Texas Tech can accomplish, especially with the roster improving. But if Toppin plays like a First Team All-American, the Red Raiders will be tough to stop. A road trip to No. 17 Illinois on Tuesday is an early proving ground.
“I don’t think we’ve trained overall enough to be at our best yet,” McCasland said. “We have the right pieces. We just have to keep getting better.”