Though Texas Tech basketball fans are still riding high after Tuesday's home victory over No. 3 Illinois, most can't help but wonder what this team will look like when its best player, JT Toppin, returns from the torn ACL he suffered in February. Unfortunately, we aren't close to finding out.
Friday, Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland appeared on The Field of 68 podcast, where he spoke with Jeff Goodman about Toppin's recovery. He said that Toppin isn't ready to even begin practicing yet.
"There are measurements associated with his being 100% that are scientific," he said, "training room things. And he has not met those thresholds yet... He hasn't told me he wants to start practicing or playing yet. I don't think we're two weeks away. I think that conference time feels like a real starting point."
ICYMI: Grant McCasland updates @GoodmanHoops on JT Toppin 👀
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) November 13, 2026
"There are measurements associated with his being 100% that are scientific, training room things. And he has not met those thresholds yet... He hasn't told me he wants to start practicing or playing yet. I don't think… pic.twitter.com/EJuHvswDTi
This is not exactly what Red Raider fans were hoping to hear. Though no one thought Toppin's return would come in mid-November, many hoped to see him in action before the end of the non-conference schedule.
In fact, the December 21 game against Duke in New York City was when a huge portion of the fanbase hoped that Toppin would make his season debut. Now, that doesn't seem likely.
Of course, Texas Tech is being cautious with Toppin's rehab. There is no need to rush him back, especially given what this season's team has already proven without him.
By taking down the Illini in Lubbock this week without Toppin, Tech proved to the nation that it has a roster capable ot beating anyone in the sport, even minus its All-American forward. Therefore, there should be no urgency to push Toppin's timetable up a few weeks.
On the other hand, we can't be certain that the roster we saw against Illinois will be the one that Tech has to work with when late December or early January arrives. That's because Tech is counting on the court system to grant eligibility to three fifth-year players, Darrion Williams, Donovan Atwell, and Jamichael Stillwell. While all three are currently playing after being granted temporary injunctions against the NCAA, that could change at any moment.
Stillwell, a 6-foot-8, 245-pound transfer from UCF, is the player who is helping fill Toppin's shoes for now. In his Tech debut, he scored 11 points and pulled down 13 rebounds against the Illini. That proved to be a huge reason why the Red Raiders were able to pull out the massive victory.
The hope is that Toppin and Stillwell will eventually team up to give the Red Raiders one of the top frontcourts in the nation. However, that is no guarantee given Stillwell's eligibility fight. What's more, even if that duo does play together at some point, it appears that it won't be any time soon.
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