Texas Tech sophomore forward JT Toppin had an impressive Legends Classic over two nights in New York City, posting a career night against the Saint Joseph’s in a loss in the first round. He scored 22 points and grabbed 18 boards on 63% from the field despite a 78-77 defeat. A complete menace on the offensive glass, he had 12 of his 18 on this end of the floor in the game against the Hawks, beating his old record of nine offensive and 16 total.

The transfer from New Mexico was a physical force inside throughout the Saint Joseph’s matchup, getting his hands on seemingly every miss from the perimeter for the Red Raiders and converting these opportunities into baskets. He was similarly excellent when posting up on designed plays, using a flurry of moves on the block to put himself in advantageous positions near the rim. Though a bit lanky and lacking consistent perimeter scoring ability, Toppin’s athletic profile and interior skill pop off the screen when watching him play.

He scored 15 points and recorded six boards and two assists against Syracuse in the third-place game, though he was less efficient from the field, struggling in the first half before scoring 11 in the second. The projected first-rounder was forced to deal with center Eddie Lampkin Jr. as well as freshman forward Donovan Freeman, another NBA Draft prospect, but made an impact despite his low field-goal percentage. He was 5-for-6 on second-half free throws, which lends credence to the theory that he can develop into a shooter from the perimeter even if the three-point shot isn’t falling quite yet.

Texas Tech’s slow-paced system can play in Toppin’s favor – only about 7% of the Red Raiders’ possessions come in transition, giving him plenty of opportunities to develop post moves and score in set plays. In the pick-and-roll, he’s averaging a blistering 1.494 points per possession according to Synergy Sports, going 16-for-21 overall on such attempts. Given the NBA is such a heavy PNR league, his game translates to the next level, especially if he can become a threat in the pick-and-pop.

His swing skill will be his outside shooting, as well as adding some weight to his frame so he can more effectively body people inside for boards. His physicality is there from a mental standpoint, and he has real motor, as evidenced by his monster game against Saint Joe’s. If he can add these two things to his repertoire, he can live up to his first-round billing.

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