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College Basketball Star JT Toppin Makes Career Decision After NCAA Tournament Loss

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rodney Knuppel | Last updated Apr 9, 2025 3:33 PM ET

JT Toppin had an outstanding 2024-2025 season, and his Texas Tech Red Raiders were one win away from the Final Four in San Antonio.

Following the season, the top scorer for Texas Tech had a massive decision to make, whether he would be declaring for the NBA Draft or returning to Lubbock.

After careful consideration, Toppin has elected to return to Texas Tech to help his team in the 2025-2026 season, marking a major boost for the Red Raiders.

In an 84-79 loss to Florida, Toppin scored 20 points and ripped down 11 rebounds.

He went 9 for 22 from the field, but struggled at the free-throw line, missing all five attempts. It was the third straight game that he scored 20+ points in a game.

Toppin was named as the Big 12 Player of the Year and is likely to be one of the candidates to be the preseason Player of the Year for next season.

BREAKING: Texas Tech star JT Toppin will return for the 2025-2026 season, he announcedhttps://t.co/27pCjbchb2 pic.twitter.com/xnBg9dQzFU
— On3 (@On3sports) April 9, 2025

On the season, the 6-foot-9 forward started 33 games, scoring 18.2 points per game, and recording 9.4 rebounds per game.

The decision was a major headline for college basketball, as he was sure to be selected in the NBA Draft in June. Many of the most recent projections had him as high as 15th.

According to On3, Toppin will receive close to $4M in his NIL package with the Red Raiders. During his third season, Toppin helped Texas Tech finish the year with a 28-9 record.

They lost to Arizona in the Big 12 tournament, and then knocked off UNC Wilmington, Drake and Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament.

There will certainly be some changes to Grant McCasland's roster as Chance McMillian and Elijah Hawkins have exhausted their eligibility. Darrion Williams declared for the NBA Draft and is also in the transfer portal.

Despite those moves, McCasland will be returning Texas Tech's leading scorer.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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