Photo courtesy Metro Creative
College basketball player JT Toppin has roots in Oak Cliff and will soon lead the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the NCAA Tournament.
The former Oak Cliff Faith Family standout earned second-team All-America honors from The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Toppin transferred to Texas Tech ahead of the 2024-25 season and is averaging 18.1 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks going into the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Toppin has collected various accolades this season, being named Big 12 Player of the Year and Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.
Prior to entering college, Toppin was a key part of Oak Cliff Faith Family’s success as a UIL program. He led Faith Family to back-to-back Class 4A state championships in 2022 and 2023. According to 247Sports, Toppin was a four-star recruit in the class of 2023. He held offers from various Division I programs, including Arizona State, Akron and Tulsa. He went on to choose New Mexico, where he played the first year of his college career.
Toppin and the third-seeded Red Raiders (25-8) will face UNC-Wilmington in a first-round matchup Thursday.
