Wednesday Headlines: Jacob Toppin Breakout Edition

The second-year Wildcat is ready for a breakout season

By Zac Oakes@ZacOakes Jun 2, 2021, 6:40am EDT

NCAA Basketball: Kentucky at Mississippi

Kentucky fans got a glimpse of Jacob Toppin last season, but this year, he’s aiming for more and his goals are pretty high.

Toppin has long been known for being the younger brother of Obi, the national player of the year two years ago and a top 10 NBA Draft pick.

But Jacob told KSR he thinks he can be even better than his brother.

“Yes, I do,” Jacob told the large group of media members at Thomas Nelson High School. “I think I have the confidence in myself that I can be better than him. Right now, I’m probably not, but I can definitely be better than my brother.”

And with that, Jacob believes he’s in store for a breakout season, a year after he saw extensive minutes in a season he wasn’t expected to see the floor a lot. Toppin averaged 17 minutes per game, averaging 5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

At times, he showed his potential. He finished with 10 points and 6 boards against Louisville, 16 points against Vanderbilt, and showed spurts in other games.

Next season, Toppin plans to be even more of a difference-maker.

“I like the challenge. There’s no pressure because to me, I feel like I’m going to have a breakout year. I’ve been working, I’ve putting in the work, I’m building my confidence shooting the ball, dribbling, playing lower. I’m definitely excited to see what’s going to happen,” Toppin said.

If he’s aiming to be better than Obi, the college basketball world needs to be on lookout.

Tweet of the Day

Check out this episode where @IAmJericho joins the show. Did you know he grew up with a serial killer and was supposed to play cards with him on the night of his first murder? https://t.co/dRaBHbp3Z5
— Jamie Boggs (@jamiewboggs) June 1, 2021