Anderson, Toppin chosen to Wooden Award Top 20

LUBBOCK – Only one program within the nation has two gamers on the John R. Wooden Award Late Midseason Top 20 Watch List. The program: Texas Tech. The gamers: Christian Anderson and JT Toppin.

The Los Angeles Athletic Club’s John R. Wooden Award®, offered by Principal, has introduced its 2025-26 Men’s Late Midseason Top 20 Watch List on www.WoodenAward.com after a range by a panel of nationwide faculty basketball consultants. The record includes 20 student-athletes who’re frontrunners for probably the most prestigious honors in faculty basketball: the Wooden Award® All-American Team and the Wooden Award® Most Outstanding Player.

Toppin leads the nation with 207 made subject objectives, is sixth nationally with 21.8 factors per sport and 14 double-doubles and ranks ninth with 10.5 rebounds per sport. Anderson is third nationally with 7.7 assists per sport and ranks sixth within the Big 12 with 19.3 factors per sport. A sophomore from Atlanta, Georgia, Anderson has file six double-doubles this season and has seven video games with double-figure assists. Toppin, a junior from Dallas, is at the moment on tempo to develop into solely the second Big 12 participant in historical past to common 20/10 for a season with Blake Griffin (Oklahoma) being the one different participant to perform it. Toppin, who earned Consensus Second Team All-America and 2024-25 Big 12 Player of the Year honors final season, has 45 profession double-doubles which is the second most amongst all lively gamers and has additionally amassed 1,526 factors, 868 rebounds and 151 blocked photographs in 91 profession video games. Anderson is at the moment taking pictures 75-for-172 (43.6%) on 3-pointers this season – rating thirteenth nationally in proportion together with making 3.41 3s per sport. Toppin is a three-time Big 12 Player of the Week choice this season whereas Anderson has earned the weekly award twice. Both gamers are additionally on Naismith Hall of Fame Starting Five midseason watch lists with Toppin on the Malone Award (energy ahead) and Anderson the Cousy Award (level guard) being recognized as the very best at their positions.

Anderson and Toppin are joined on the distinguished record by Darius Acuff (Arkansas), Cameron Boozer (Duke), Jaden Bradley (Arizona), AJ Dybansta (BYU), Jeremy Fears (Michigan State), Kingston Flemings (Houston), PJ Haggerty (Ok-State), Thomas Hugh (Florida), Graham Ike (Gonzaga), Joshua Jefferson (Iowa State), Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan), Darryn Peterson (Kansas), Labaron Philon (Alabama), Braden Smith (Purdue), Bennet Stirtz (Iowa), Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt), Keaton Wagler (Illinois) and Caleb Wilson (North Carolina).

The gamers on the record are thought of robust candidates for the 2026 John R. Wooden Award® Men’s Player of the Year. Players not chosen for the late midseason record stay eligible for inclusion on the Wooden Award® National Ballot. The National Ballot will characteristic 15 high gamers who’ve demonstrated to their universities that they meet or exceed the Wooden Award® {qualifications}. Wooden Award® voters might be invited to rank 10 of the 15 gamers on the poll so as of desire when voting opens through the NCAA Tournament. Voters may even think about performances within the match’s early rounds, gamers’ contributions to their groups, and their character.

Past winners embrace Larry Bird 1979, Michael Jordan 1984, Tim Duncan 1997, Kevin Durant 2007 and final yr’s recipient Cooper Flagg of Duke.

The Wooden Award All-American Team might be introduced through the week of the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight.  Celebrating its fiftieth yr, the Wooden Award has featured particular programming with first winner and ambassador Marques Johnson, culminating within the 2026 John R. Wooden Award offered by Principal. Winners, All-Americans, and the recipient of the Legends of Coaching Award, Matt Painter of Purdue, might be honored on the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Friday, April 10, 2026.

Follow the Red Raiders: Keep up with Texas Tech males’s basketball information at TexasTech.com and on the workforce’s social media on Instagram, X and Facebook.