Toppin secures pair of national preseason honors
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 2027 Karl Malone Award while the NABC also chose 20 of the top players in the nation for its list entering the season. The annual Karl Malone Award, named after the Class of 2010 Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, celebrates its 13th year by recognizing the top power forward in NCAA Division I men’s college basketball. The 2027 NABC Division I Player of the Year – to be selected by a nationwide vote of Division I head coaches at the conclusion of the regular season – will be announced the week of the 2027 Men’s Final Four. Former Duke star Cameron Boozer received the award last season. The NABC Division I Player of the Year award has been presented every season since 1974-75, and is the only national player of the year honor selected by the sport’s head coaches.
Toppin is a two-time Consensus All-America Second Team and two-time All-Big 12 First Team selection who enters his senior season having already produced 1,593 points, 907 rebounds, 159 blocks and 47 double-doubles through 94 career games. Toppin is progressing in his rehab from a season-ending injury that forced him to miss the final five games of the regular season and the postseason last season. A Dallas native in his third season at Tech, Toppin is coming off a junior season where he averaged 21.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. He was also named to the All-Big 12 Preseason Team earlier this month.
2027 NABC Division I Player of the Year – Preseason Watch List
Flory Bidunga, Louisville
John Blackwell, Duke
Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, Duke
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan
Rueben Chinyelu, Florida
Alex Condon, Florida
Thijs De Ridder, Virginia
Silas Demary Jr., Connecticut
Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State
Juke Harris, Tennessee
Thomas Haugh, Florida
Motiejus Krivas, Arizona
David Mirkovic, Illinois
Milan Momcilovic, Kentucky
Braylon Mullins, Connecticut
Pryce Sandfort, Nebraska
Tyran Stokes, Kansas
Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt
JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Robert Wright III, BYU
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Release provided by Wes Bloomquist Texas Tech Athletics