Age

23.2

Height

6'9"

Weight

205

Workload

MIN%

67.2

USG%

23.8

TS%

45.6

Per 70 Possession Stats

PTS

17.7

REB

10.4

AST

2.1

STL

1.1

BLK

0.7

TOV

1.4

Efficiency

RIM FG%

54.2

MID FG%

40.0

3PT FG%

21.4

FT%

58.3

Jump to full report

Report by: Neema Djavadzadeh

Jacob Toppin

Forward Kentucky Wildcats

Highflying forward with a knack for rebounding.

Age

23.2

Height

6'9"

Weight

205

Per 70 Possession Stats

PTS

17.7

REB

10.4

AST

2.1

STL

1.1

BLK

0.7

Positions Defended

Offensive Role

 

Defensive Role

   

Meet Jacob Toppin.

The younger brother of Knicks forward Obi Toppin, Jacob Toppin is a highflying wing with the Kentucky Wildcats. Now in his Senior season after transferring from Rhode Island his Sophomore year, Toppin has played as one of the main options for a stacked Wildcats team. He has made huge strides in his game since his freshman year and looks to become a draft candidate in the upcoming class through his shot making potential, athletic ability, and playmaking flashes.

Offense

Toppin’s jumpshot has looked very improved since his Freshman year at Rhode Island, however the shot percentage hasn’t improved much. Toppin is shooting just 23% from 3 so far this season, although on the most attempts per game of his college career. Improving on his shot percentages could open up a lot for Toppin offensively. He has a great pull-up jumper, and is automatic from around the free throw line. By being a threat from deep, he can force harder closeouts, and open himself up more for those mid-range jumpers.

Jacob Toppin Jumpers

Toppin is the only forward on the Wildcats who has any ball-handling duties. An incredible rebounder, Toppin often leads the break for Kentucky, being their only premier rebound-and-run threat. His decision making in the open court is decent, normally getting the ball to either Sahvir Wheeler or Cason Wallace and then finding open space to either fill the court or finish the play. He makes decent reads and can find the open man in transition. However, in the half-court Toppin tends to struggle. He is a subpar decision-maker with the ball and his passes often go awry. When driving into the paint, he seems to be figuring out what he’s doing as he goes, leading to turnovers or bad plays.

Toppin’s athleticism makes him a premier lob threat. He takes great routes when cutting to the rim, curving his path to generate more force off one leg (a technique often used by soccer players and high jumpers). He finds open spaces really well and moves well without the ball. This, combined with his ability to explode off the floor can help him be a great cutter at the next level.

Defense

As previously mentioned, Toppin’s biggest is his rebounding. He has a quick leap that allows him to get up over players and is fantastic at tracking the ball. He is able to snake around box outs, finding advantages down low to generate space for boards. Toppin is averaging 10.4 rebounds per 70 possessions, and his ability to lead the break for Kentucky has benefitted their offense greatly.

Rebounding

Toppin has the athleticism of a good shot-blocker and has shown flashes of being a strong help-side defender. However, his slow reactions and lack of awareness are major holes in his game. He often gets caught on screens or ball watches to the point that he loses his man. When he is locked in, like has been in more recent games, he can be an effective defender both on-ball and helping in the paint. He is a great leaper, with a long wingspan and can recover well on quick guards when he’s focused. However, the lapses defensively lead to him being beat off cuts and off the catch to the point where he can’t recover. With better focus and awareness on this end, Toppin has the tools to be a positive NBA defender.

Overall

Toppin’s steady improvements offensively have benefit him as a draft candidate. Although his overall game needs a good amount of fine tuning, he has plenty of tools that make an NBA player. With a focus on his defensive awareness, on-ball skills and improvements to his shooting form, Toppin can see himself becoming a top 60 prospect in this upcoming class, and potentially a rotational player down the line.

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