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Kentucky

WATCH: Kentucky forward Jacob Toppin wows at BBM dunk competition

Chandler Vesselsby: Chandler Vessels10/16/21ChandlerVessels
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Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Kentucky forward Jacob Toppin put defenders on notice with two highlight-worthy slams in the dunk competition Friday during Big Blue Madness. After completing a windmill dunk off the side of the backboard, Toppin went in for a 360 slam that got the crowd off its feet.

Toppin won the competition with two straight perfect scores. The 6-foot-9 junior is in his second season with the Wildcats after transferring from Rhode Island a year ago. He came off the bench last season to average 5.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest.

Kentucky is coming off of its worst record since the 1926-27 season. The Wildcats finished 9-16 this past year and missed the postseason entirely. They brought in several transfers this season to help that cause.

Iowa guard CJ Fredrick, Davidson guard Kellan Grady and West Virginia forward Oscar Tshiebwe all also join Kentucky. Grady averaged more than 17 points per game in his career at Davidson, and should provide instant scoring.

Kentucky also poached a player from conference-foe Georgia, as point guard Sahvir Wheeler is set to play a big role this year. He suffered an ankle injury during Monday’s practice, but returned to action Thursday.

As per usual, the Wildcats also have a star-studded class of freshman in their recruiting class. Point guard TyTy Washington and power forwards Daimion Collins and Bryce Hopkins all rank inside the top 50 in On3’s class of 2021 rankings.

If Kentucky hopes to reclaim its spot as a perennial power in college hoops, it will need Jacob Toppin to do much more than dunk. However, it’s nice to see the athletic ability on the team, and it makes one wonder whether he has carved a larger role for himself this season.

Kentucky opens its regular season on Nov. 9 in a big-time matchup against Duke. Prior to that, they play in the annual Blue-White game on Oct. 22.