Texas Tech basketball’s worst fears have come true.
Star forward and reigning Big 12 Player of the Year JT Toppin suffered a season-ending torn ACL in his right knee during Tuesday’s loss to Arizona State, the team announced Wednesday afternoon.
The injury came with a little over six minutes remaining in the second half. Toppin, an Oak Cliff Faith Family product, stayed down on the court for a few minutes before he helped off the court. He stayed on the bench briefly before going back to the locker room.
Red Raiders head coach Grant McCasland was initially unsure about the severity of the injury, but an MRI confirmed that Toppin would miss the rest of the season.
Sports Roundup
Losing Toppin, who leads Tech with 21.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, puts a significant damper on the Red Raiders’ postseason aspirations.
Ranked 13th in the latest AP poll, Texas Tech has demonstrated elite potential with marquee top-five wins over No. 2 Houston, No. 3 Duke and No. 4 Arizona this season.
Oklahoma expected to hire Deland McCullough as running backs coach, reports say
McCullough would replace DeMarco Murray, the former Dallas Cowboys star, who was hired by Kansas City last week.
Texas Tech’s JT Toppin goes down with leg injury vs. Arizona State
Toppin, an Oak Cliff Faith Family product, spent a brief moment on the bench before he was helped back to the locker room.
Find more Texas Tech coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.