Jacob Toppin enters the NBA Draft. ‘I appreciate everything Kentucky has done for me.’

Ben Roberts
·7 min read

Three years ago, Jacob Toppin came to Kentucky as a high-upside transfer from Rhode Island, a promising talent with plenty of untapped potential and much still to learn on the basketball court.

On Friday afternoon — after a UK career packed with ups and downs — Toppin announced that he will be leaving Lexington for the NBA Draft. He intends to keep his name in the draft pool and will forgo his final season of NCAA eligibility.

Toppin announced his decision via a social media post in the form of a letter addressed “to Big Blue Nation.”

“Ever since I was a kid, it’s always been a dream of mine to be able to play at the highest level of basketball,” Toppin said. “I came to Kentucky to chase that dream, and in my time here I’ve grown tremendously, not only as a player but as a man. This place has taught me things that I will take with me for the rest of my life.”

The 6-foot-9 forward from Brooklyn went on to thank his coaches, teammates and “most importantly” the UK fans.

“Kentucky will forever hold a special place in my heart. I’ve loved my time here, but I’m ready to finally fulfill my lifelong dream of playing in the NBA,” he said.

Toppin was a 19-year-old freshman with a wealth of potential when he decided to transfer from Rhode Island and chose Kentucky as his new college basketball destination before the 2020-21 season. At that time, he was best known as the younger brother of Obi Toppin, who was named the national player of the year following the 2019-20 season and was selected with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Though Toppin did play 18.5 minutes per game as a freshman at Rhode Island, the Wildcats viewed him as more of a long-term prospect and even planned to redshirt the new addition for the 2020-21 season before the NCAA granted immediate eligibility to play right away.

He was generally a reserve player for the Wildcats over his first two seasons on campus, making six starts in 53 games during that time and playing about 17 minutes per game each season.

The expectations were much higher going into his senior year, with Toppin hoping for a breakout season that would lead to ample team success for Kentucky and a rise up the NBA Draft boards.

He got off to a largely uneven start to the 2022-23 season — as did the Wildcats — before hitting an especially rough patch in December with a four-game stretch that included no more than five points in any game and a scoreless performance in a loss to Missouri on Dec. 28.

Three days later, Toppin turned in one of the best games of his college basketball career, tallying 24 points in an 86-63 victory over rival Louisville in Rupp Arena. After that game, the senior forward revealed that he had been dealing with “mental struggles” over the course of the season that had affected him on and off the court. His public acknowledgment became a rallying point for teammates and drew praise from John Calipari and others.

“I’m excited for Jacob to take this next step of chasing his dream of becoming a professional player,” Calipari said in a statement Friday. “Jacob has steadily improved every season and is ready for this next step. He has all of the tools to be successful in that league and is mentally prepared beyond measure to handle anything that comes his way.”

Toppin averaged 12.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game this past season for Kentucky, and he was often singled out for his defensive ability. In the final victory of his UK career, Toppin had 18 points, six rebounds and turned in a terrific defensive performance against former teammate Bryce Hopkins to help lead the Cats past Providence, its first NCAA Tournament win in four years.

A few weeks before that game, Toppin sat next to fellow UK veterans Oscar Tshiebwe and Brennan Canada to look ahead to their upcoming Senior Night festivities and reflect on their college careers to that point.

“Hey, honestly, I didn’t think I was going to be in college for this long,” Toppin said with a smile. “But, you know, everything works out for the best. It’s God’s plan. I’m truly blessed to be able to play for Kentucky basketball. It’s been an honor. The emotions — it’s going to be a lot. I’ve been here for three years. A lot of ups and downs. A lot of blood, sweat and tears. …

“It’s been truly a blessing to play for a program like Kentucky. It’s like no other. Not a lot of people can say they did this. So I’m definitely going to soak it all in and take it all in and understand how blessed and how honored I am to be here.”

Canada and Tshiebwe were also asked to recall their first impressions of Toppin.

A teammate of three years, Canada hesitated.

“You can be honest,” Toppin told him.

“He was a little, uh, how do I want to say it? Immature, a little bit,” Canada said. “He’s grown a lot. I think we can all see that. I remember, there’s a lot of practices — whenever you first get here; I guess you don’t really know how serious it is — coming from Rhode Island, it’s obviously different. But he’s grown so much since he’s been here. It’s crazy. I’m happy for him, and I’m happy for all of his accomplishments this year.”

Tshiebwe then told the story of his first meeting with Toppin, who had already been on UK’s campus for a few months by the time Tshiebwe transferred in from West Virginia. He said that Calipari told him that they had a “12-year-old” on the team Tshiebwe was confused.

“You have a 12-year-old kid?” he asked Calipari. “How do you have a 12-year-old kid on the team?”

The UK coach said Tshiebwe would have to meet him and help him grow.

“And he introduced me to Jacob,” Tshiebwe said. “I said, ‘He’s not 12. He’s not 12!’ I said, ‘Man, how old are you? … Why Coach say you are 12?’”

Tshiebwe then explained that Toppin was so immature when he first arrived in Lexington — a cutup on and off the court — that his coach had taken to referring to him as a kid. Tshiebwe couldn’t hold back his laughter as he retold that story, cracking up throughout his explanation.

“But Jacob has changed a lot,” he finished. “He’s become more mature. He understands that we need him. He has done a lot of great things this year to help us. And I’m so proud of him to see how he always works harder, how he’s always in the gym. And now he’s taking the leadership to lead the younger boys. I’m just so happy for him.”

Toppin, who turns 23 years old in May, is not projected as a selection in this year’s NBA Draft, but his athleticism, potential as a shooter and possibly still-untapped upside should make him an intriguing player for pro scouts as he navigates the pre-draft process.

The NCAA granted all players who were in college during the COVID-19-impacted 2020-21 season an extra year of eligibility, but Toppin, as expected, will pass on that fifth season and keep his name in the draft pool.

“Transferring to Kentucky has helped me tremendously in every aspect of my life, not just basketball, but as a person,” he said on the eve of the NCAA Tournament. “Mentally, physically, I’ve grown. On the court I’ve grown a lot. I was immature coming into Kentucky, and Coach Cal, the coaching staff and everyone around me has helped me tremendously grow as a man and as a basketball player.

“So I appreciate everything Kentucky has done for me, and I’m just getting better day by day.”

Keep up with Kentucky basketball: Key dates to know for the Wildcats’ busy 2023 offseason

Tracking Kentucky basketball roster moves: A UK starter bids farewell to college

Five big questions for Kentucky basketball (and John Calipari) as the offseason begins

The biggest decision of the Kentucky basketball offseason could reshape the next UK roster

Ugonna Onyenso is grateful for this season. And he’ll be back for Kentucky’s next one.

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