Replacing JT Toppin seems like an insurmountable sort of task for Grant McCasland and the Texas Tech Red Raiders. After all, Toppin is, by far, one of the most talented and exciting players in college basketball this season. And the Red Raiders have really relied upon him (as they absolutely should) up to this point in the season.
But after Toppin’s season-ending injury, Texas Tech will need to figure out the best path forward. That’s definitely easier said than done, and given the way McCasland has been wrestling with the emotional impact that losing a player like Toppin can have, it’s certainly not going to be easy at all.
“He’s an unbelievable competitor, he’s real,” Texas Tech’s head basketball coach explained during a press conference. “Being in the doctor’s office with him when he got the news was crushing, it really was. And it was a tough couple days. I told our team, ‘you know, you can do both, you can be sad, you really can.’”
Texas Tech’s Grant McCasland wrestles with the emotions of losing JT Toppin and has to figure out how to replace the Red Raiders star
As McCasland and Texas Tech and Toppin all figure out what’s next and up ahead of them, it’s clear that they’re intent about figuring that out together. As McCasland noted, Toppin has been at practice and has observed how the Red Raiders are doing in trying to move on with their season and keep it rolling along.
“I said, ‘what do you think about our group?’ He’s like, ‘I just don’t know how we’re going to rebound.’ I love that about him, because he’s genuine,” McCasland said.
Which, you know, that’s a very selfless and also a practical concern. Texas Tech is having to replace a guy who was averaging nearly 22 points per game and just under 11 rebounds per game. He’s been a huge asset for this team in very tangible, scoreboard obvious ways. Beyond just being a great teammate, he’s a force that other teams struggle to slow down.
And still, it’s great to see how Toppin is concerned for his team. It’s a refreshing thing to hear about. And it absolutely adds another emotional layer of why losing him hurts for this team.