Texas Tech junior forward JT Toppin will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 college basketball season after tearing the ACL in his right knee, the school announced Wednesday. The injury occurred during Tuesday’s loss to Arizona State. Given the standard recovery timeline, his availability for the 2026-27 campaign is also in doubt.
Toppin, a consensus second-team All-American last year and a leading candidate for this season’s NCAA Player of the Year award, averaged 21.8 points, an NCAA-best 10.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.4 steals across 34.8 minutes in 25 games. ESPN and Bleacher Report had projected the 6-foot-9 forward as a second-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, but the extended rehabilitation could postpone any decision to turn professional.
League and broadcast notes
NBC, the NBA’s new broadcast partner for All-Star Weekend, was pleased with changes to Sunday’s showcase but is exploring additional elements to energize Saturday’s slate, executive producer Sam Flood told Front Office Sports. Among the concepts expected to be discussed is adding a fourth competition, potentially a one-on-one or two-on-two tournament.
Amari Bailey tests college market
Guard Amari Bailey, selected in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft, continues to pursue a return to the NCAA despite having logged NBA minutes. After a recent court decision blocking former Alabama center Charles Bediako from a similar move, Bailey visited Grand Canyon University and plans additional visits, On3’s Joe Tipton reported. Representatives overseeing his NIL opportunities say more than a dozen programs have expressed interest.
Storylines for the stretch run
Panels at ESPN and The Athletic highlighted key narratives for the remainder of the 2025-26 NBA season, including which contenders might derail the defending champion Thunder and several tight award races. ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Jeremy Woo also looked ahead to the 2026 offseason, projecting the topics most likely to dominate headlines.
Separately, The Athletic’s Zach Harper listed his current All-NBA first team as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, Victor Wembanyama, Cade Cunningham, and Jaylen Brown.
Source: Hoops Rumors
