Jacob Toppin backs up breakthrough performance with 21 points against LSU

Six days ago, Jacob Toppin doesn’t make the two free throws that iced Kentucky’s win. Six days ago, Jacob Toppin doesn’t hit a must-have contested three-pointer with the shot clock running down in the final 90 seconds. Six days ago, Jacob Toppin doesn’t laugh and smile and have fun with his teammates. Six days ago, Jacob Toppin doesn’t even fit into the starting lineup.

But the Jacob Toppin of six days ago doesn’t appear to exist anymore, or at least not right now — the senior forward is back to feeling like his old self again. During Kentucky’s 74-71 win over LSU on Tuesday night, Toppin did exactly what he wouldn’t have been able to six days ago. He dropped 21 points and saved his team down the stretch with timely free throws and a clutch triple from the corner.

When asked after the win over the Tigers if he could have hit those same shots a couple of weeks ago, he admitted he likely wouldn’t have been able to.

“Probably not,” Toppin said after the win over LSU. “That just comes from the belief of my teammates and coaches, they believe I can make that shot. I think it was Cason (Wallace) who passed it to me so I just had the balls to put it up there and as soon as it left my hands I knew it was good.“

Had it not been for Toppin hitting a handful of big shots down the stretch, Kentucky doesn’t beat LSU at home and pick up its biggest win of the season so far. He earned those 21 points on an efficient 9-13 shooting to go along with three rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block in 31 minutes. Toppin attempted just one of UK’s 18 three-pointers, but none of them were more important than his.

Jacob Toppin BIG SHOT! pic.twitter.com/azLIBEdeYH

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) January 4, 2023

Following Kentucky’s 23-point New Year’s Eve win over rival Louisville, Toppin, who posted a career-high 24 points and seven rebounds in that outing, spoke about his recent mental struggles. He explained how he hit “rock bottom” ahead of the Wildcats’ 14-point loss to Missouri less than a week ago when he came off the bench and failed to score a single point in a season-low 13 minutes.

But after some deep reflection and emotional discussions with his teammates, coaches, and those closest to him, Toppin had himself a breakthrough. It was the off-court work that led to a special on-court performance. He proved on Tuesday night against LSU that it wasn’t just a fluke, either.

“Nah it was just all mentality, not even just being in the right mindset but also having the right mindset in every aspect,” Toppin said. “So just thinking about the right things and right now all I’m thinking about is playing defense, getting rebounds, and realistically that’s taking the pressure off my offense. So just having that right mindset definitely helps a lot.”

Whatever that right mindset is for Toppin, he simply hadn’t been in it since his impressive stretch during the Big Blue Bahamas Tour over the summer. He went from being a likely NBA Draft pick in the preseason to getting benched against Florida A&M in mid-December. In the four games leading up to Kentucky’s monster win over Louisville, Toppin had averaged just 3.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per game while shooting a paltry 25 percent from the field overall.

But now, over his last two games, Toppin is averaging 22.5 points and five rebounds in 33 minutes per outing while shooting 68 percent from the floor. He found a way to lift himself out of a hole he believed had no bottom.

“Jacob making the three. Jacob making the free throws. I mean, big deal,” Head coach John Calipari said after the win over LSU. “And think about where he was three games ago, four games ago, five games ago. You know, part of what we do, and I’m not just saying me, I’m saying coaches. You’re not only coaching the skill, the schemes. You’re having to deal with young people who are getting inundated with stuff. And an adult can keep it away and ignore it. Well, sometimes, an 18- and 19-year-old can’t. When he said, ‘I was in a dark place,’ think about that.”

There’s no telling what was bothering Toppin’s mental the last couple of weeks, but it’s clear he’s found a way to overcome it for now — and Kentucky is going to continue to benefit if he keeps it up.