Texas Tech University Athletics
NABC honors Anderson, Toppin, McCasland
March 17, 2026 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK – The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) has announced its all-district teams with Christian Anderson and JT Toppin earning Gulf District First Team and Grant McCasland being selected as the Gulf District Co-Coach of the Year. The All-District honors are voted on by NABC-member coaches across NCAA Division I and the Gulf District is comprised of Division I programs in the states of Texas and Louisiana.
Anderson and Toppin are joined on the Gulf District First Team by Rashaun Agee (Texas A&M), Cameron Carr (Baylor), Kingston Flemings (Houston), Boopie Miller (SMU), David Punch (TCU), Emanuel Sharp (Houston), Dailyn Swain (Texas) and Keon Thompson (SFA). The Gulf District Second Team is: Rowan Brumbaugh (Tulane), Chris Cenac (Houston), DJ Hall (Texas State), Larry Johnson (McNeese), Po'Boigh King (Sam Houston), Lateef Patrick (SFA), Jaron Pierre (SMU), Joseph Tugler (Houston), Matas Vokietaitis (Texas) and Tounde Yessoufou (Baylor). McCasland and Houston's Kelvin Sampson were selected as the NABC Gulf District Co-Coaches of the Year. The NABC All-America teams will be announced on Wednesday.
Anderson has established a new Texas Tech single-season record with 236 assists this season and leads the Big 12 with 7.6 assists per game. He is currently fifth in the Big 12 by scoring 18.9 points per game and enters the NCAA Tournament with 105 made 3-pointers and eight double-doubles. A sophomore from Atlanta, Georgia, Anderson scored a career-high 34 points in the season opener against Lindenwood and went for 31 points and a career-high 11 rebounds in a win over Cincinnati in conference play. He has scored 20-plus points in 12 games and has eight games with double digit assist totals, including a career-high 13 assists in a win over Oklahoma State. Anderson also earned All-Big 12 First Team honors and was a three-time Big 12 Player of the Week selection.
Toppin recorded 16 double-doubles and averaged 21.8 points and 10.8 rebounds through 25 games played this season before suffering a season-ending injury on February 17. A junior from Dallas, Toppin scored 30-plus points in six games this season with a season-high coming in a 35-point, 11-rebound performance at Illinois. He matched a career-high with 18 rebounds and scored 16 points in a home win and would go off for 31 points and 14 rebounds in a road win at then-No. 1 Arizona. At the time of his injury, Toppin was leading the nation with 234 field goals made. Toppin also earned All-Big 12 First Team honors and was a four-time Big 12 Player of the Week selection.
McCasland is the first Texas Tech coach to lead the program to the NCAA Tournament in each of his first three seasons. The Red Raiders are 22-10 this season, including setting a new program record with three wins over Top 5 opponents, four wins over Top 10 opponents and being ranked throughout the season for the first time in program history. McCasland will be coaching in his 104th game as Tech's head coach and enters the 2026 NCAA Tournament with a 284-119 record in his NCAA career, including his Texas Tech records of 73-30 overall. As an NCAA head coach, McCasland has now led four teams to the NCAA Tournament and has a 4-3 record, including winning three games last season to reach the Elite Eight and taking North Texas to the second round after a 78-69 overtime win over Purdue to open the 2021 NCAA Tournament. McCasland and Bob Knight are the only coaches in program history to win 20-plus games in each of their first three seasons leading the Red Raiders.
Texas Tech is the No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region and opens the NCAA Tournament against No. 12 Akron at 11:40 a.m. (CST) on Friday in Tampa, Florida.
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