The AP Player of the Year, Obi Toppin from the Dayton Flyers, declared himself eligible for the 2020 NBA Draft. Toppin led the Flyers to a 29-2 record and a projected #1 seed in March Madness.
Toppin used social media to share his intentions. “I hope everyone is safe and healthy during the current situation going on in the world, the COVID-19,” tweeted Toppin. “I would like to share the news with you guys that I will be signing with an agent and foregoing my college eligibility by entering the 2020 NBA Draft.”
Toppin, a 6-foot-9 redshirt sophomore from Brooklyn, New York, led Dayton with 20 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. He also shot 63% from the field.
After starting the season 9-2, the high-scoring Dayton Flyers went on a 20-game winning streak. They lost to Kansas (ranked #4 at the time) and Colorado. That’s it. Both of their losses were by a combined eight points. If you ask Toppin, the Flyers should have gone undefeated.
In Toppin’s first season in Dayton, he won the Atlantic 10 Freshman of the Year with a 14.4 ppg scoring average and 5.6 rebounds per game.
Toppin is also a dunking machine and by now, you’ve probably seen some of his floor-rattling dunks. CBS Sports dubbed him “one of the best dunkers in college basketball history.”
AP Player of the Year: Toppin
Although Obi Toppin will probably not get picked #1 overall in the upcoming NBA Draft, he’s a consensus Top-5 pick behind Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, and James Wiseman.
When considering the best player in the country, it goes without saying that the best players on the best teams will get noticed. Toppin fits the bill at #3 Dayton.
Luke Garza might have been better on paper, but Iowa fell under the radar as part of the second tier of Big Ten teams. The Hawkeyes finished #25 in the AP Top 25 Poll, but the AP voters favored Toppin and Dayton’s amazing season.
Last season, Duke’s Zion Williamson won the AP Player of the Year. Previous Player of the Year winners included Anthony Davis, Jimmer Fredette, and Kevin Durant.
Toppin scored 20 or more points in 16 games this season. He tipped off the year with 29 points in the first game of the season and never looked back. He finished the season with eight double-doubles.
Toppin dropped a season-high 31 points against North Florida and saved one of his best performances for late in the season against Davidson. He shot 10-for-11 from the field, including 3-for-4 from 3-point land, for 23 points. He also hauled down 12 rebounds in a dominating game against Steph Curry’s alma mater.
