Texas Tech University Athletics
Anderson, Toppin selected to Wooden Award Top 20
February 10, 2026 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK – Only one program in the nation has two players on the John R. Wooden Award Late Midseason Top 20 Watch List. The program: Texas Tech. The players: Christian Anderson and JT Toppin.
The Los Angeles Athletic Club's John R. Wooden Award®, presented by Principal, has announced its 2025-26 Men's Late Midseason Top 20 Watch List on www.WoodenAward.com after a selection by a panel of national college basketball experts. The list comprises 20 student-athletes who are frontrunners for the most prestigious honors in college basketball: the Wooden Award® All-American Team and the Wooden Award® Most Outstanding Player.
Toppin leads the nation with 207 made field goals, is sixth nationally with 21.8 points per game and 14 double-doubles and ranks ninth with 10.5 rebounds per game. Anderson is third nationally with 7.7 assists per game and ranks sixth in the Big 12 with 19.3 points per game. A sophomore from Atlanta, Georgia, Anderson has record six double-doubles this season and has seven games with double-figure assists. Toppin, a junior from Dallas, is currently on pace to become only the second Big 12 player in history to average 20/10 for a season with Blake Griffin (Oklahoma) being the only other player to accomplish it. Toppin, who earned Consensus Second Team All-America and 2024-25 Big 12 Player of the Year honors last season, has 45 career double-doubles which is the second most among all active players and has also amassed 1,526 points, 868 rebounds and 151 blocked shots in 91 career games. Anderson is currently shooting 75-for-172 (43.6%) on 3-pointers this season – ranking 13th nationally in percentage along with making 3.41 3s per game. Toppin is a three-time Big 12 Player of the Week selection this season while Anderson has earned the weekly award twice. Both players are also on Naismith Hall of Fame Starting Five midseason watch lists with Toppin on the Malone Award (power forward) and Anderson the Cousy Award (point guard) being identified as the best at their positions.
Anderson and Toppin are joined on the prestigious list by Darius Acuff (Arkansas), Cameron Boozer (Duke), Jaden Bradley (Arizona), AJ Dybansta (BYU), Jeremy Fears (Michigan State), Kingston Flemings (Houston), PJ Haggerty (K-State), Thomas Hugh (Florida), Graham Ike (Gonzaga), Joshua Jefferson (Iowa State), Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan), Darryn Peterson (Kansas), Labaron Philon (Alabama), Braden Smith (Purdue), Bennet Stirtz (Iowa), Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt), Keaton Wagler (Illinois) and Caleb Wilson (North Carolina).
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2026 John R. Wooden Award® Men's Player of the Year. Players not selected for the late midseason list remain eligible for inclusion on the Wooden Award® National Ballot. The National Ballot will feature 15 top players who have demonstrated to their universities that they meet or exceed the Wooden Award® qualifications. Wooden Award® voters will be invited to rank 10 of the 15 players on the ballot in order of preference when voting opens during the NCAA Tournament. Voters will also consider performances in the tournament's early rounds, players' contributions to their teams, and their character.
Past winners include Larry Bird 1979, Michael Jordan 1984, Tim Duncan 1997, Kevin Durant 2007 and last year's recipient Cooper Flagg of Duke.
The Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced during the week of the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight. Celebrating its fiftieth year, the Wooden Award has featured special programming with first winner and ambassador Marques Johnson, culminating in the 2026 John R. Wooden Award presented by Principal. Winners, All-Americans, and the recipient of the Legends of Coaching Award, Matt Painter of Purdue, will be honored at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Friday, April 10, 2026.
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