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He was projected to be one of college basketball’s breakout players this season after Kentucky coach John Calipari predicted at the end of last season that he would be a 2023 NBA first-round draft pick.
So far, senior forward Jacob Toppin has been good but not spectacular. In four games, he’s averaging 10.3 points (sixth on the team), 8.0 rebounds (second on the team) and 27.5 minutes (fourth on the team.). He has seven assists, five steals and three blocks. He’s hitting only 40 percent overall from the field and just 25 percent (2-for-8) from 3-point range.
He played only 20 minutes in Thursday’s 106-63 victory over South Carolina State but had nine rebounds, eight points on 4-for-8 shooting, two steals, one block and one steal. He also did not have a turnover.
“I am not worried about putting up shots. My role is to defend and rebound,” Toppin said. “My shots will come. I am not going to force anything. I am not a selfish player. I am just going to defend and rebound.”
Toppin said before the game that coach John Calipari told both him and sophomore Daimion Collins that if they did not rebound, they would not play.
“We were crashing the boards. He (Calipari) said who rebounds the most plays against Gonzaga (Sunday),” Toppin said. “We are going to rebound and be gritty players.
Collins had seven rebounds, six points and two blocked shots in 18 minutes.
“Obviously my offense is going to start coming eventually,” Toppin said. “I have put in the work. Right now I am focusing on defense and rebounding. Whoever plays defense stays on the court.
“I am not worried about my offense. I know I am a good player and it (offense) will come. I just am not really worried about my offense.”
That’s good because if Toppin believes he is a big-time shot maker — or has to score in a big way — I don’t think he will thrive. He needs to be a stat-stuffer who lets the game come to him.
He had 10 points in Tuesday’s 86-77 loss to Michigan State but went 3-for-8 from the field. He also had only four rebounds and no steals.
“After a loss like we had in Indiana against Michigan State, it was good for us to come back and have a blowout win and make a statement like this,” Toppin said. “We are going to Gonzaga (on Sunday) and that’s going to be a big game. Having this game to help our confidence is big.”
Toppin said film study after the Michigan State loss helped the team see where and how it could get better.
“We had this game to get ready for Gonzaga and found ways on film to get better,” he said.
One Response
The effort that was displayed against gonzaga was a disgrace and embarrassment for the university of Kentucky. I have been a fan for over 60 years and have watched this team over the last few years devolve into a team that is no longer feared and a team that loses every big game. I am sickened by the same cliche excuses after ever loss especially the one tat says you cant make them all but you cant miss them all either. PLEASE GIVE US A BREAK with that nonsense. It appears to my eyes that once the lifetime contract was given ( and in my opinion with the UCLA job used as a gun to the head) someones pockets got filled and it appears as though the interest in coaching was gone resulting in all these lame excuses. Its time for that lifetime contract and the recipient of it to travel down the road. ENOUGH is ENOUGH. Unfortunately it will cost so much that UK will hire another Billy Gillespi and we will ride that merry go round for a while. So it looks like a rough ride as we become a joke so we may as well rip the bandaid off and get this over with to save our reputation down the road. Sorry about the rant and thanks for reading.