The diagnosis is in on Texas Tech star JT Toppin after he suffered an injury late in the second-half during the Red Raiders’ 72-67 loss to Arizona State on Tuesday. According to the team’s X account, he’ll miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season with a torn ACL.
“Injury Update on JT Toppin: An MRI has confirmed that Texas Tech junior forward JT Toppin sustained a season-ending torn ACL in his right knee Tuesday night in the game at Arizona State,” Texas Tech Basketball on X posted on the site.
It’s a major loss for Texas Tech and the college basketball world as a whole. With 6:03 remaining and the Red Raiders trailing by five, Toppin drove toward the basket before collapsing to the floor. Immediately, he grabbed for his right leg, and all of Lubbock held their collective breath.
The preseason All-America selection needed assistance to leave the court and did not return, casting a shadow over the closing minutes of the game. Head coach Grant McCasland confirmed afterward that the injury involved Toppin’s lower leg, but said the program would need further evaluation before determining its severity.
“It’s hard to say until we get it looked at closely,” McCasland said via his postgame press conference. “But I just know he’s really disappointed. He’s such a competitor. We’ll get back and get him looked at.”
Before exiting, Toppin once again showed why he has been one of the nation’s most productive players this season. The star forward finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four blocks, continuing a dominant campaign in which he entered the night averaging 21.9 points per game.
But his absence immediately shifted the momentum. Texas Tech trailed 61-56 when he went down and quickly fell behind by double digits as Arizona State capitalized during the emotional stretch.
“It knocked us on our heels a little bit,” McCasland added. “But, man, we’ve got a competitive group and found a way to get it to a one-possession game. Gave ourselves a chance late, which is what you want.”
Moreover, the Red Raiders did begin to respond late, cutting the deficit to 70-67 in the closing seconds after regrouping defensively. However, a turnover by Christian Anderson prevented a potential tying three-point attempt and sealed the upset loss.
The defeat snapped a three-game winning streak for Texas Tech, which was coming off a statement overtime victory at then-No. 1 Arizona. McCasland praised his team’s resilience, but he acknowledged the urgency of improving consistency throughout the game.
“If we had done that for the previous 38, 37 minutes, then we would have put ourselves in better position,” he explained.
Now, the focus shifts entirely to where Texas Tech goes from here without Toppin. With conference play intensifying and postseason positioning looming, Texas Tech’s outlook has changed after losing their centerpiece star. Time will tell if they can bounce back.