Jacob Toppin details leadership on Kentucky roster heading into next year

Kentucky forward Jacob Toppin spoke about the upcoming year for the Wildcats and his place as a leader in his fourth college season. Toppin has played two seasons for Kentucky after spending his freshman season with Rhode Island — giving him veteran experience that he can use to help mentor Kentucky’s incoming players.

Jacob Toppin on being a leader at Kentucky

“I’m older now and there’s a lot of young guys who came in,” said Toppin in a recent media appearance. “So just for me to be mature and understand these guys are learning, and help them with whatever they need. If they have questions, they can ask me — they know that. But understanding that anyone can help anyone. I don’t have to be the leader, anyone else can be the leader. It’s just a matter of being mature and holding that to a high standard.”

Toppin added 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 17.7 minutes per game off the bench for Kentucky last year, and will likely continue to be a big part of the Wildcats rotation this year. Regardless of his production however, it’s clear that Toppin knows his role on the team involves leading with his experience.

Toppin on his physical growth this season

“Since the season ended, I gained about 5-10 pounds, which is good,” Toppin said earlier in his media availability. “The new strength coach, Brady Welch, he’s been good for us. He’s been on me a lot about eating the right stuff. Not just eating a lot of food but eating the right stuff, and it’s helped a lot. I feel healthier, I feel better, I feel stronger. So it’s definitely been a process.”

One reporter asked what Toppin meant by getting “the right stuff” into his body.

“Eating a lot of protein and carbs. Not a lot of junk food. Make sure I’m hydrating, drinking a lot of water. Also drinking a lot of gatorade because the sugars I need. So stuff like that.”

Then he was asked what “the wrong stuff” was that he had been eating.

“I ate a lot of junk food, which was like chips, candy. When my nutritionist was like, ‘whenever you’re hungry, have a snack’…I thought a snack was like a bag of chips or cookies or something. Not like PB&J. So now, when I’m hungry I would eat like a peanut butter and Nutella sandwich with a banana or a protein shake.”