Following an impressive performance at the NBA Draft Combine earlier this month, former New Mexico Lobos forward JT Toppin chose the Texas Tech Red Raiders over the Texas Longhorns on Tuesday, withdrawing from the 2024 NBA Draft process.
The absence of the 6’9, 210-pounder from Dallas, who was named Mountain West Freshman of the Year last season, is a significant setback for head coach Rodney Terry and the Longhorns — the 2024-25 Texas roster only features one player taller than 6’8, 6’11 senior Kadin Shedrick, and the team’s leading rebounder last season, forward Dillon Mitchell, transferred to the NCAA.
Sources: New Mexico transfer JT Toppin has committed to Texas Tech and withdrawn from the 2024 NBA Draft.
Averaged 12.4 PPG and 9.1 RPG last season.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 28, 2024
Toppin led the Mountain West with 9.1 rebounds and 3.7 offensive rebounds per game, demonstrating a strong ability to clear the board that translated well to the combine. He also led the conference in field goal percentage (.623) in blocks (1.9). Toppin, who finished as the No. 133 prospect nationwide in the 247Sports Composite rankings, made an immediate impact as a freshman, scoring 12.4 points per game for the Lobos before accessing the NCAA transfer portal and declaring for the draft.
And, while it’s unclear what other frontcourt players the Texas coaching staff is looking for, it’s the Longhorns’ most pressing remaining need, with the ability to fill it establishing the ceiling for next year’s team.
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