AP Photo/James Crisp
Jacob Toppin Declares
On Friday, Kentucky forward Jacob Toppin announced that he would forgo his final season of eligibility and enter the 2023 NBA Draft.
ALL LOVE 💙 pic.twitter.com/fkwRmQJ1Pv
— Jacob T (@Jtoppin0) March 31, 2023
Toppin transferred to the University of Kentucky as a developmental 19-year-old after his freshman season at Rhode Island. The potential was always there for Toppin to become a top-tier college basketball player, and after two years of coming off the bench, it mostly clicked for the senior in 2022.
Expectations were high coming into the season and after a rough start, Toppin became a true leader on this Kentucky team. He finished the season averaging 12.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
Whether it was 17 points on the road against Florida, 21 on the road against Arkansas, or 18 against Providence to get the Wildcats their first tournament win since 2019, Jacob Toppin has left his mark on the Kentucky program this year and will be remembered fondly.
Future Freshmen Show Out at McDonald’s All-American Game
The 2022-23 basketball season is over for Kentucky, but it is never too early to talk about next season. On Tuesday night, the McDonald’s All-American Game was played, and four future Cats participated.
The @KentuckyMBB Boys in the #McDAAG
DJ Wagner
🔹 19 Pts
🏆 MVPAaron Bradshaw
🔹 18 Pts
🔹 8 RebsJustin Edwards
🔹 11 Pts
🔹 5 Rebs
🔹 2 StlReed Sheppard
🔹 4 Pts
🔹 4 Rebs
🔹 3 Ast
🔹 2 StlAnd don’t forget they also have Rob Dillingham 🤯#BBN is back with a vengeance pic.twitter.com/otwIhcvP0s
— Blue Chips (@UKBlueChips) March 29, 2023
Forwards Aaron Bradshaw and Justin Edwards, and guard DJ Wagner played for team East and guard Reed Sheppard played for team West.
It was a relatively quiet performance for Sheppard, but if anyone had any doubts about the Kentucky kid hanging with the big boys, those questions should be answered. He finished his night with four points, four rebounds, and three assists along with two steals.
Reed Sheppard all by himself 💥 pic.twitter.com/0bM5d3aTsU
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) March 29, 2023
On team East, the three Kentucky guys played an enormous role in bringing the team back for a victory. Wagner was named the game’s MVP with 19 points and three assists. Bradshaw added 18 points and eight boards. Edwards proved how solid he was with 11 points and five boards.
Kentucky connection 👀
Wagner ➡️ Edwards pic.twitter.com/uXRf86Bh3o
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) March 29, 2023
In a game like the McDonald’s All-American Game, there is always a lot of talent on the floor. The future of the basketball landscape was on full display. However, it was clear as day that the future Kentucky Wildcats were the cream of the crop.
