Texas Tech scores big in landing New Mexico transfer JT Toppin

coming up today on lockon Texas Tech ladies and gentlemen we got [Music] him you are locked on Texas Tech your daily podcast on the Texas Tech Red Raiders part of the lockon podcast Network your team every day great to be with you again on locked on Texas Tech on the lockon podcast Network your team every day always free and available on YouTube or anywhere you get Podcast appreciate you for making us your first listen with the only Chris level I'm Casey Cowan and Chris it's great to be back with you always check the tapes I rarely say that so you know that I mean it when I say it today but uh in particular when we've got news to discuss like what we have to discuss today for I don't know a recent number of days maybe 10 days two weeks a lot of signs have been pointing to the fact that JT toppen New Mexico transfer was likely to become a red ray but had no opportunity to uh make that official or confirm that officially until we get it from the man himself and of course we get that yesterday as toppen announces that he is Texas Tech bound has been a part of the NBA draft process for uh what going on a few weeks almost a month I guess I'm not sure how many days that totaled but uh this is as big of a g as Texas Tech has gotten during this portal cycle and um as I said in the the YouTube short you and I threw up yesterday yesterday uh immediately makes Texas Tech front Court one of the most dynamic in the Big 12 Conference I would like to think one of the most dynamic in the country so man a fun time to be a Red Raider when you're making an addition like JT toppen yeah you know and this was the one right we we had talked about him being in the mix or a target for a while and and it doesn't mean he's necessarily your best player although might be uh but it it's it's because of what your team currently was and he was the one that now completes it gives you what you were missing the most of and I think that's what's a lot of fun is now you've got you know you to use a puzzle analogy it's like you now you you just added a corner piece um you know whenever you you I hate the puzzle but you you find the corners and you do the board and fill in the middle whatever I can't stand the puzzle in fact if we put one in front of me right now I'd just throw it I mean I I don't care where the pieces would go and I'd probably lose some and all that but that that's the uh it doesn't mean he's the best corner piece it just means he's he's like kind of completes what what you were trying to really put together as far as you know positionally uh you know the versatility that it offers uh it's a plus Defender uh obviously very active on the glass CL you know I talked to uh and you know since he's committed and signed uh which was I don't know midday yesterday I've talked to two people that coached against steam in high school and in college okay the the you know and and I think what what both people kind of indicated was that he knows how to play he's got great hands uh he's a finisher he can step out and shoot it but he he just it's his he's got a great feel for the game and his intelligence and I think that it's funny because both people talked about how good his hands were and he just you you can you can feed him a pass on the block or in transition and he's just he's gonna catch it and he knows uh he knows what to do with it and and just the the part about understanding the Angles and all the all those things that come with basketball but those are people that have you know had to coach against him so uh and and he's young still I mean this is just one year removed from high school but uh but yeah I don't know what it is about the Mountain West Conference but uh because what is that darana Williams Jeff Linder and now JT toppen I mean So speaking of uh of glorified remember the line that Jimbo fiser gave us that he was like talking about the big 12 that's kind of what the Mountain West has been to Texas Tech anyway he's kind of a feeder to to the Red Raiders with some very important pieces here yeah I like the fact that we just get it all to ourselves it's not even like for the Big 12 it's for Texas Tech specifically uh I want to get to in just a minute how this relationship came together but um I was wondering if if you had any insight into you know when he leaves the high school ranks he's from Dallas um he goes to join New Mexico which is a quality basketball program I I wouldn't put New Mexico down uh in any way but it's not a power five basketball program or formerly power four I'm looking at some of the the offers that he had listed there on his Rivals profile I see Arizona State but it was pretty light as far as power five offers what what has happened to this kid in a freshman season to make him one of the most sought-after transfers after I don't know if lightly recruited is a fair way to put it but if I have to put it that way then let's call him that uh as a high school player did he really mature was he a diamond in the rough do do you know much about kind of the high school to college transition and now how he has become what he's become going into a sophomore season well I I I think uh I think that like like let's talk about it in these terms because it's really the same thing I think that him as a college player transitioning into the NBA like because my question for him for JT like from NBA standpoint and I don't know what he was told at the combine but how do they view him do they view him as a three man which is what I mean there's a lot of guys that that you know uh play play the small forward spot in uh in the NBA and you know but is he is he a good enough shooter to to be that at the next level so there may have been some of these kinds of questions got from high school to college on like okay what what what is he and again that's much easier to answer like dude he he can do a whole bunch of stuff NBA it's a little more it's a little more centralized it's a little more measurable heavy it's a little more you know and like almost everybody in the NBA's got to be able to shoot but there may have been some questions about how what exactly he was coming out of high school and I think that there was there was folks that were talking him up late in that cycle you know kind of saying don't don't miss the boat folks and I want to say that uh some of Tech's coaching staff was actually retweeting some of these things uh in uh in recent uh I guess in the last day or so from back in like the December of 22 or something time frame yeah yeah and so I don't you know did did he have man I want to be close to home did I want what what kind of Le you know just wasn't super familiar with with him from a high school Prospect standpoint I just know that this is somebody that was I'm going to say to you what was in the mix as a Texas Tech possibility like before the portal even opened based on fit uh relationships the fact that he's from Dallas the fact that he he is what you what you didn't and don't have um you know the fact that you know you've got a a player from his high school Jaz Henderson committed to you that's coming as a preferred walk-on I believe uh so there there was a lot of things that pointed to this and and there for a minute you thought it maybe University of Texas that is where he ends up and I think that there's people in Austin that will will tell you and if we were talking to him right now they would say man he actually committed to Texas but again things change and that was in the midst of the NBA combined situation and all those things so none of it necessarily matters but now not not only is he now committed to Texas Tech he signed with him and I believe is supposed to be in LC uh I think this Sunday wow uh amazing how things can transpire do you know what because yeah it did seem like at one point and I think we even talked about it on this show hey it looks like he's going to be wearing burnt orange uh do you have any insight into what what changed that direction not not to suggest it was just one thing but um do you have any insight as to how that kind of came to not be I think a lot of people in his camp and this is really credit to Grant mccastlen I think a lot of people in his Camp felt like the basketball fit was always so much better at Texas Tech and you you you factor in need yes and then you factor in like nil and and all those things you know and what what wins out what you know what what ultimately is the is what's going to matter the most and I I think it's fair to say cow that I is everybody kind of under the assumption here that this may be like a a short-term marriage you know for this next six to nine months or whatever it is I think that's fair and and I'm okay with that uh I think that everybody is okay with it that's just kind of the name of the game I mean you you kind of look at this as maybe you just got a a one and done that's not a guaranteed deal I mean maybe there's something happens where he's not is you know doesn't develop like he he wants maybe there's a you know who knows what would what would you know limit his ability to say man I'm G to forgo it I'm I'm out I'm I'm declaring I'm not coming back and and all those things but I think everybody's going into this thinking that this is a six to n month deal because he was right on The Fringe already yeah and I think if he goes you know comes here and does what I think that they I think his people feel like Grant and his staff can can do with him and and develop and pull out uh the things that that the NBA wants to see and then win some basketball games along the way I think you're uh that would be a a win-win scenario for all involved but uh yeah yeah we got to be rooting for it I mean that's the nature of the Beast if he has the kind of season we want him to have then that's the likely result uh is that he would be head back to a professional opportunity so uh you know that that's just the way that the Cycles go uh in this era whenever you've got a really talented player so we're obviously rooting uh for him to have that kind of season you talk about relationships and you you mentioned the high school teammate that's here but I'm wondering is there somebody on staff if it's not maazin himself uh is there a staff relationship a you know a program relationship does he really like the trainer does he have a girlfriend on the softball team is there is there something specific like that with a non-player that Drew him to the program first today's episode brought to you by FanDuel and it's Do or Die time in the NBA and NHL and FanDuel is giving you a shot to bring home a big win of your own right now new customers get $150 in bonus Bets with any winning $5 bet that's 150 bucks to bet on spreads player props money lines and a whole lot more so visit fanduel.com locked on and make every playoff shot count with FanDuel America's number one sports book is there something specific like that with a non-player that Drew him to the program none of these folks will want any credit but I I I do think uh that Kell Buffington had a lot to do with this and I think Grant specifically had a lot to do with this I think they're them both being posted up in the in the Metroplex are greater Metroplex over the last however many years it's been absolutely factors in here it just does and then I think that you know obviously Matt Brier and and and AC and everybody that was with Grant at North Texas some level factors in and and all that but I think uh I think Grant and buff play played a huge role here uh I think that they really kept hammering away at this even and and and didn't waver even though at times Maybe looks like you're losing him to one place or the other whether that's Texas or or the NBA or maybe it's just not in the cards for us and we need to and all the while you're still trying to you know recruit other folks to give yourself options just in case I mean like you got to bring in great asabor on a visit you gotta yeah you know the there was several of them that came in here that and and all the while you're you're kind of going do we really wanna offer a starting spot here or an nil deal here or the the the bulk of the minutes here to this player knowing that JT toppen was out there and that's probably the guy you you would have wanted over anybody you know for for this conversation as far as the the the big man minutes if you will or the versatility that you were kind of seeking and it it probably takes a pretty strong stomach [Music] to you know cuz I mean how many people were like you better end up with somebody or else I'm like I don't know or else what yeah I don't know or else what but but you know what I mean you're kind of just trying to it's like you're kind of operating blind a bit you just don't know what you don't know and and you you're trying to put your best foot forward but you're trying to keep guys engaged because you need somebody and and so it's just a it's a cluster and and again it probably takes uh somebody with a pretty strong stomach to continue to you know wake up every day and go at it and and like this is what we're you know this is what we're going to do something's going to happen and I and I go back to I think some of the things I've told you too about Grant it's like he's his mindset is is get up every day and find a way and and they did and I also kept telling people just just judge this when it's over and it's we're still not there yet but but you know you just think about how much consternation and how much uh angst that that folks have have felt along Ong the way here and maybe it turned out pretty good I don't know I would say so and I'm pretty sure it was uh what show did I hear this on um oh hell it was this show I said it uh or else was defined as going down to Broadway turning over a Toyota Scion and maybe burning a lime scooter so that's just one example uh of or else if you were searching for an example okay uh before we get to what's next on the list if there is anything else on the list as far as remaining spots or potential portal activity for the program we've talked about how he wound up here the relationships what about him as a player I know he's tall I know he's long I know he's versatile um but I'm kind of wondering what you are envisioning and this is going to require some speculation obviously we'll see when the rubber meets the road but um you know is is he are he and Frederico squared guys we're going to see on the floor at the same time is he a guy that can stretch it out to the perimeter I'm looking at some you know three-point shooting percentages and things like that what do you actually think as far as his game and maybe how that fits into uh a projected lineup for Texas Tech yeah he can you know he can do a bit of uh of everything that you're looking for uh I think uh you know I mean you know was looking up to be sure he's a 35% U three-point shooter but he is he is somebody that uh he can shoot the three yeah but I don't I I think he's more of a in the paint guy guy uh I think because this is what who who coached against him this last year said this to me uh very good feel for the game knows how to play uh great hands finishes with the left hand of the paint catches everything makes open threes and shares the ball well which sounds like a dream it just sounds like a well-rounded you know and I think that's the reason that he was at the NBA Combine as a freshman out of out of Albuquerque New Mexico you know playing for the Lobos for just the one year so but I I think that's why this is such a fun fit for this particular team because it now allows you to and we can spend a lot of time on this kind of thing uh in in tomorrow's show about all all the possibilities but but this is somebody that he he's gonna blur the lines here and and gives gives his head coach a lot of different options because I think theoretically at the at the end of the day he's a he's a four SL five would be a bit of a smaller skinnier five man but he could he could do it like a small ball five but he could also you know potentially play like the three if you really wanted to go big you you know all these different things so I I just think he's he he's going to be like Devin Cambridge in that it really blurs the lines on on what what you want them to do you know and I think it gives you another player that can get out and run I I I think he's a plus athlete for sure uh I my favorite thing about him is what he does on the glass just because I mean it's very difficult to average close to 10 boards a game in college basketball at the D1 level mid- major or not and that was something that I think this whole team when they started doing that last year better everything improved you know when they started because I mean Grant would talk about it all the time we got to get better at rebounding we're not very good and and it wasn't and we would talk about on these shows all the time you didn't have to necessarily win the rebounding battle but you couldn't get your head kicked in on it you couldn't just like be a and I think now you can look at some of this and go maybe you're doing the one that that's that's really doing the hurting W with some folks because we know what D5 can do FR Fred Rico is somebody that is absolutely A Plus on the glass you know got top in here who averages about 10 a game and and and just all all the other pieces with it and so I I just think that's my my favorite thing is this is somebody who clearly will understand his role and he's not gonna and I think when you talk about people that know how to play it's not just being in the right spot or kind of having a feel for the angles of the game and all that it's also understanding what does my team need for me I'm not going to sit out here and bomb away 10 threes this game that's not helping my team win even if I make them all which which would be a rarity and and you know I mean he we would take that don't get me wrong but he's gonna have a good feel for what the game needs from him and what his team needs from him and that's part of understanding how to play you know and I think that's a big deal for somebody like Grant and that's why they were so I think intrigued with us you know somebody like JT toppen yeah and really um I saw some other I think Fran forell was one commenting on the glass work but specifically the offensive glass work and just uh man that that kind of stuff obviously invaluable although I do just expect guys like chance McMillan Kerwin Walton Darion Williams just to be making everything so I don't know if he'll have as many offensive rebounding opportunities as he once did but uh you love a guy that'll get busy on the glass and do some of that stuff that really takes some elbow grease and yeah the The Knowing Your Role part is no small thing it kind of sounds like a small thing maybe to a fan here or there or you even think like if a guy really knows his role then that means you know he's he's limited to some specific role I I don't take it to mean that I take it to mean playing within what his head coach is wanting him to do what what the team is calling for him to do and uh obviously the uh kind of the mold that's carved out for him given what his teammates uh represent as far as the role that they can play so can't wait to see him in red and black on the floor and uh man if you can have some good luck from a health standpoint it really seems like we're going to be in in for a different kind of experience as far as the front court is concerned in Grant McCaslin second season and you know you mentioned Cambridge and I I just think about Rim rockers you better get a new set of bolts every game day at the USA because I think you're gonna have some really Dynamic guys uh that are attacking that Rim so that's an exciting thing to think about something else that's exciting to think about potentially or maybe we're closing a book of sorts correct me if I'm wrong we're down to two spots now uh that are available I believe but we've always talked about you know the thought of one spot remaining vacant and then you think about later in the semester transfers or midyear kind of transfers things like that so I'm curious uh to wrap up our conversation what you may feel like are some potential next steps with the room that uh coach McCaslin still has available are there some obvious targets because I know there are some obvious names that we talked about but with some of these high-profile guys we've also run into some nil hurdles to get over if you're really going to be fishing in that pond again um but are there some other options that you really think we'll see a maybe a hard push toward or how do you feel like we'll round this out are there some other options that you really think we'll see a maybe a hard push toward or how do you feel like we'll round this out so you have uh you have two scholarships left and I'll go back to some of the things that Grant said last week you know will we try to fill them yes um what that looks like not real sure is there a chance we would hold one yeah uh we're not going to take somebody just to take them we're you know we we want it to be a good fit and all those things and it needs to make some sense and and and all that so you kind of put all that into a blender and and I just remember saying to you maybe it was the the show we did at the end of last week uh when we were talking about this subject is like I think the the people that have talked themselves into like a certain scenario you can do this and this you can only do this you can do this is how it's going to end up you're going to use this this the I just I I don't I've never bought into that because there's too many things that can change I mean and I mean theoretically until JT topen shows up here uh you know on on Sunday I I think you know even that is is a you know there's things that change with basketball programs well into the summer a lot of the time but with what you know right now I think I think this is the biggest hurdle in adding a I don't I don't like a high-profile addition okay I think that's you you that was your turn I'll borrow that one yeah whether it's uh somebody else that just that that's removed the name from the combine or whether it's somebody that everybody would assume is gonna you know require a big uh price tag for nio whatever you think a high-profile addition would be and here here's here's why I think that that is somewhat prohibitive because if you look at your team you have one of everything and in some cases you have one and a half to two of everything if you bring in a high profile Edition now guess what they are taking somebody's minutes shots you know spot in the starting lineup what whatever and I think that's where you run the risk of the team chemistry portion of this when you're trying to in this era keep everybody on the same page you've had Communications with several folks on your team this is what we're doing and you you go add somebody high profile that already plays this or that that's going to be expecting this or that it's like well what about me here I mean and I think that's the because you have a lot of experience in our returners and see I think the thing with toen is there's not anybody on that team that would have said we we don't need any help uh in in the paint we don't need any help uh at the four five they they all would have agreed there yeah and and I think that's why it's like a perfect fit from that standpoint too he not only gives you what you're missing but everybody was on the same page with we we need it we want it please give it to us JT I mean coaches players all that stuff now anybody else and you start to you know potentially and I just I I I don't think personally that Grant will will fiddle with that just too much but having said that you you just don't know you you have two scholarships left uh we'll see how they are filled you you could see current portal guys filling those you could see some more freshman a JC guy you could see one or both being I guess I I would just be shocked if both of them were left open uh but uh I I I don't know if we can really Envision you know but for anybody to to think that you're going to add another high-profile to this one I that's just not the way I I'm thinking on that deal based on what I uh very strongly What I Hear on that and I think those are kind of the reasons why but again things change things can you just got to be careful about talking yourself into one scenario or or another but I just think as you look at the basketball part of this you can fill out three to five different starting lineups you can talk your way into a variety of quality folks coming off the bench to where you can get to eight or nine 10 Deep here man it's exciting to think about and always exciting to talk about an addition like JT Topp and so enjoy it out there we'll continue continue to process it through the week maybe get into some of what we could speculate about uh some combinations and the way that you could see top and used uh as far as lineups things like that in days to come and of course we'll continue to keep an eye out for any further portal activity the best way for you to do that is to uh get subscribed if you're not already on YouTube or anywhere you get Podcast so you never miss an episode Chris appreciate the time as always man well you know and in some of these cases I always say you know keep hope alive but man I after after yesterday's news boy I I damn sure believe it I mean that that that was a big one there man those are fun I hope everybody enjoyed that because now you feel like you're you're in the party you were looking for an invite oh well guess what that invite was mailed you open up that envelope and you are in the party now boys uh so uh yeah so that that's uh all you can ask for is a chance you have a legitimate chance now with the addition of JT Topp and so enjoy chopping it up uh C we will do it again very very soon maybe tomorrow I don't know we'll see that's right yeah we'll be back on the other side for a little Friday edition uh appreciate you guys being out there as always again get subscribed if you aren't already on YouTube or anywhere you get Podcast and the best way to help us grow the show is to comment anything below so get in there and mix it up on YouTube as well thanks to those who do that regularly for Chris I'm Casey thanks for joining us and we hope to see you back for the next round un locked on Texas Tech oh [Music]