Texas Tech University Athletics
Toppin named to Malone Award Midseason Top 10
February 05, 2026 | Men's Basketball
Award honors top Power Forward in college basketball
LUBBOCK – Texas Tech junior JT Toppin has been announced as a 2026 Karl Malone Award Midseason Top 10 selection by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Toppin was a finalist for the award last season as a sophomore and has continued to dominate the competition this year where he currently leads the nation with 199 made field goals and is sixth nationally with 14 double-doubles and 10.6 rebounds per game and eighth in scoring with 21.8 points per game.
Toppin is joined on the Malone Midseason Top 10 by Koa Peat (Arizona), Cameron Boozer (Duke), Graham Ike (Gonzaga), Joshua Jefferson (Iowa State), Malik Reneau (Miami), Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan), Caleb Wilson (North Carolina), Trey Kaufman-Renn (Purdue) and Alex Karaban (UConn).
A three-time Big 12 Player of the Week selection this season after earning Consensus All-America and Big 12 Player of the Year honors last season, Toppin has recorded 45 double-doubles, 1,504 points and 859 rebounds through 90 games in his career. A Dallas, Texas native, Toppin has scored 20 or more points in 12 games and over 30 in five this season. Along with Toppin, Texas Tech sophomore Christian Anderson was named a Bob Cousy Award Midseason Top 10 selection for the Red Raiders.
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting in both of the remaining rounds starting on Friday on hoophallawards.com. The Fan Vote will count as one committee vote during the finalist selection process. In mid-March, the Mid-Season Top 10 list will be narrowed to just five, and in late March, the five finalists will be presented to Malone and the Hall of Fame's selection committees, where winners will be selected.
The Selection Committees for the Karl Malone Award is composed of top men's college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers. The winner of the 2026 Malone Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the other four members of the Men's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy Award (Point Guard), Jerry West Award (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving Award (Small Forward), and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award (Center).Â
Previous winners of the Karl Malone Award include Johni Broome, Auburn (2025), Jaedon LeDee, San Diego State (2024), Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana (2023), Keegan Murray, Iowa (2022), Drew Timme, Gonzaga (2021), Obi Toppin, Dayton (2020), Zion Williamson, Duke (2019), Deandre Ayton, Arizona (2018), and Georges Niang, Iowa State (2016).
Follow the Red Raiders: Keep up with Texas Tech men's basketball news at TexasTech.com and at the team's social media on Instagram, X and Facebook.
