Why Oscar Tshiebwe thinks Jacob Toppin has been UK basketball's best player this summer

LEXINGTON — As the first consensus National Player of the Year to return to college basketball since 2008, Kentucky forward Oscar Tshiebwe might be the biggest star in the sport.

But its junior forward Jacob Toppin that Tshiebwe says has actually been performing best in early summer workouts.

“You guys are going to be impressed to see him play basketball this year,” Tshiebwe said. “He’s right now like our best player. He’s unstoppable in the gym. Nobody can stop him.”

While any Wildcat wrestling the “best player” mantle from Tshiebwe during the season would be a surprise, a significant jump in production from Toppin would not.

After transferring to Kentucky from Rhode Island as a sophomore, Toppin showed glimpses of promise in what John Calipari billed a “found money” season in which he was initially expected to redshirt in 2020-21. During his second season as a Wildcat, Toppin split time with Keion Brooks at the four but showed off an improving offensive game while averaging 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds in 17.7 minutes per game.

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Already considered one of Kentucky’s best defenders and an elite dunker, Toppin started to show off valuable touch on mid-range jumpers. He improved his shooting percentage by 10 points from his first to his second season at Kentucky.

Despite his middling statistics, Toppin declared for the NBA draft this spring, electing to workout with teams before ultimately announcing his return to Kentucky. During that process, Toppin gained confidence by pitting his skills against a number of 2022 draft prospects and older brother Obi Toppin, the 2020 first-round pick of the New York Knicks.

“The plan for me was definitely to come back because I knew I wasn’t ready,” Toppin said. “I’m a person who’s going to go at my own pace. I’m not going to force anything, and I believe that feedback, that opportunity helped me a lot for this upcoming season.”

Having his older brother for an example makes it easier for Toppin to maintain patience with his own development.

After playing just one season of varsity high school basketball, Obi played a post-graduate season at a prep school before signing with Dayton in 2017. He then redshirted in his first college season. As a redshirt freshman, Obi averaged 14.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

In his third year at Dayton, Obi blossomed into the National Player of the Year and a first-round draft pick, averaging 20 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

“It motivates me a lot,” Jacob said. “To see what he’s done and to see what I’m doing, we’re kind of on the same trajectory. But at the end of the day, everyone has their own path. I’m going to follow my path. He followed his, and hopefully we get to the same spot.”

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Feedback from the NBA teams he worked out with echoed the assessment of Toppin and his Kentucky coaches made in the aftermath of the NCAA Tournament loss to Saint Peter’s.

The lanky 6-foot-9, 200-pound forward needs to add muscle in order to compete against stronger post players. The offensive strides he showed last season must continue, allowing Toppin to stretch the floor to 3-point range and become a more consistent perimeter threat.

Toppin actually made 40% of his 3-point attempts (4 for 10), but he was quick to note two of the four makes were banked in.

“He has improved his jump shot,” Tshiebwe said. “He’s become more physical when he attacks the rim. He knows how to protect the ball and finish. He’s making good passes. He got a lot better.”

Tshiebwe’s advice to Toppin is to ensure his current form carries over into the season by keeping a consistent focus in offseason workouts. Calipari and Toppin acknowledged last season that maturity has been a problem at times, with Toppin’s self-described goofy personality occasionally leading to distraction.

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How Toppin is able to harness his ever-present energy will say much about if his summer breakout translates to a similar jump in draft stock his brother enjoyed at Dayton. Earlier this offseason, Calipari predicted Toppin would be a first-round pick during and appearance on the Paul Finebaum Show.

The raised expectations from his teammates and coaches have pushed Toppin even more.

“You can definitely see those steps in the right direction, as far as the development,” senior point guard Sahvir Wheeler said. “He’s going to be really key for us this year. I think the biggest thing is making sure he feels empowered, that we want him to succeed, that we want him to reach and try to be great.

“We want that for Jacob. I think this time he’s becoming a lot more mature, and it’s going to allow him to do some really, really good things for us and for himself this year.”

Email Jon Hale at jahale@courier-journal.com; Follow him on Twitter at @JonHale_CJ.