Photo via SEC
When he originally decided to switch from Rhode Island to Kentucky in April last year, Jacob Toppin came in with the intention of re-adjusting the 2020-21 season, despite the possible one-time direct rule from the NCAA. At the time, the 6-foot-9, 194-pound forward from Brooklyn, NY, wanted to stretch out the year to develop his body and his game that led to a strong debut season in 2021-22.
When the NCAA announced an additional year for student athletes participating in winter sports due to COVID-19, both Kentucky and Toppin decided to apply for an immediate admission waiver, which amounts to a free season of college basketball. With four years to qualify, the second-year student’s long-term development goals can remain at school while the program is immediately helped to the floor. It was a win-win for both parties.
Now, 19 games into his young career in Kentucky, Toppin has developed into a strong contributor to the bench, averaging 5.3 points and 3.6 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per game. And his biggest performance of the year was in the UK’s 82-78 victory over Vanderbilt on Wednesday night, with the 6-foot-9 forward with 16 points on 5-9 shots and 5-5 off the line with four rebounds, two help and one block within 22 minutes.
“I was so happy. What I said to the team afterwards, a real team does not know who is going to have the big game, and whoever it is, everyone’s going to be ecstatic for. They were ecstatic for him in that locker room, “said UK head coach John Calipari after the victory. “We’re becoming a team. “Instead of doing what I want to do, what should this team do?” Jacob went in, looking good. We were able to put him on the leaderboard, which means we could switch him to the big guy.
‘… Jacob, I would not have subject him at all if he could have kept in the match. He played too well. He came up with the last rebound that won the game, right? ”
In a year where production for Toppin candle is on the cake, he has now finished in double figures three times and added six or more rebounds six times.
As Calipari would put it, he found a ‘nice little change’ in a season of ‘found money’.
‘It’s money found for Jacob. “This is money he found in the bank,” he said. “Nice little change he picked up.”
Despite his original red shirt plans, Toppin feels that the free years of experience on the field allow him to improve every day as a player and prepare himself for greater long-term success.
“This season has helped me a lot,” he said. “I learn from everything that goes on, the experience I get, I just get better every day.”
With just one point with 30 seconds left, Toppin struck out two free kicks to take a three-point lead. After the Commodores responded with two free throws of their own, Toppin followed with two more makes on the line to extend the lead to three with 19 seconds left.
It was four consecutive makes that helped solidify the victory, Kentucky’s second in a row.
“It’s just a mentality. If you have the mentality that you are going to make the shot, you are going to make the shot. You can not doubt yourself, “said Toppin about his free throws to close the game. “I had the full confidence in the world that I would make that free throw if it mattered.”
Toppin’s long-term plans remain in Kentucky, but the Brooklyn resident provides a lot of immediate help in a year that the Wildcats definitely needed it.