Jacob Toppin considering Kentucky

The Kentucky Wildcats have a new transfer target, and his last name is Toppin.

No, it’s not Dayon forward and National Player of the Year Obi Toppin. Instead, it’s his brother, Jacob Toppin, who is leaving Rhode Island for a bigger school, and Kentucky is apparently one of his options.

Toppin, a 6-8, 190-pound forward, averaged 5.1 points and 3.9 rebounds in 30 games as a freshman, including five games in double figures. He was originally a three-star small forward in the Class of 2019 with offers from Rhode Island, Cal Poly, Stony Brook, Central Connecticut State and Quinnipiac.

Whether Toppin is eligible next year will likely depend on when possible changes to the NCAA’s transfer rules take effect, as a vote to approve the one-time transfer rule is set for May and could apply to the 2020-21 college basketball season.

If Kentucky is actually recruiting Toppin, one would think John Calipari expects the rule to pass for next season, as Kentucky is in desperate need of frontcourt help.

My guess is Calipari is looking into Toppin to be a bench player who develops into a potential starter in the coming years. Frankly, that’s the kind of thing Kentucky has needed more of but lacked in recent years.