Tag: Jacob Toppin

Jacob Toppin will return to the New York Knicks next season

Former Wildcat Jacob Toppin has signed a two-way contract with the New York Knicks.

Former Kentucky basketball star Jacob Toppin spent three years in Lexington, from 2020 to 2023. He wasn’t drafted that season, but did sign with the New York Knicks.

On Wednesday, the Knicks announced that they are bringing Toppin back for a second season. They have signed the forward to a two-way contract for the 2024-25 season.

Related: Oscar Tshiebwe signs deal with Utah Jazz

Toppin improved ever year as a Wildcat, and as a Senior, he averaged 12.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. That was double his numbers from the previous year.

For the Knicks G-League team, Toppin was solid. He averaged 19.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. He made 33% of his three-pointers as well.

Toppin also appeared in nine games for the Knicks, averaging just over a point per game. He also participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, but was eliminated in controversial fashion.

The former Wildcat will get a second chance to impress this coming season, and Big Blue Nation will be rooting for him to earn a full contract.

Fans react to Jacob Toppin in the Slam Dunk Contest

Former Kentucky star Jacob Toppin lost in his Slam Dunk Contest debut, but fans think he was robbed.

The NBA’s All-Star game is a popular event for fans who get to see their favorite players show off with little-to-no defense being played. The scoring is easy, and the splash plays are plentiful.

However, just as popular are the events preceding the All-Star game. On Saturday night, the Three-point Contest and, especially, the Slam Dunk Contest get the headlines. The dunk contest, in particular, is exciting for everyone. This year, Kentucky Wildcats fans had an extra reason to watch, as former Cats star Jacob Toppin was an entrant.

Wildcats fans know that Toppin is a terrific athlete with the leaping ability to pull of eye-popping dunks. On Saturday night, he showed up.

Toppin didn’t win the contest, and was actually eliminated in round one, but by all accounts, he was robbed. He performed two extremely impressive dunks, but the scores weren’t enough to get him into the final round against eventual winner Mac McClung. Still, the former Wildcat had quite a night, and Big Blue Nation had his back, along with Knicks fans.

Here are some of the reactions from fans who watched Toppin throw down some of the best dunks of the night.

LSU men’s basketball uses 20-3 run to beat Kentucky

In a game of runs, LSU beat Kentucky 65-60 to improve to 13-1.

LSU men’s basketball team had a big SEC victory on Tuesday night against Kentucky. The Tigers beat the Wildcats 65-60. LSU came into the game ranked No. 21 and Kentucky No. 13.

The Tigers led 35-30 to start the second half; the Wildcats went on a 17-2 run to take a 47 to 39 lead. Soon after that, LSU went on a 20-3 run to take the lead for good.

Tari Eason led the Tigers in scoring off the bench with 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field while adding six rebounds and three assists. Two other Tigers scored in double-digits, Xavier Pinson with 11, and Brandon Murray said ten. Darius Days, LSU’s second-leading scorer struggled shooting 3-of-12 from the field and scored nine points; he did grab seven rebounds.

Davion Minz led Kentucky in scoring off the bench with 16 points, and Jacob Toppin added 14 points for the Wildcats. Kellan Grady, the only starter in double-digits, scored 13 points. The Tigers did an outstanding job defending, holding Kentucky to 36.2% shooting from the field and 33.3% from three-point land.

This was indeed a game run; both teams had 39 teams rebounds apiece and 15 turnovers apiece. But LSU defense was the most vital factor in this game.

The Tigers have another challenging game on Saturday when they host No.8 ranked Tennessee at home.