Dayton Basketball: 2019-20 keys for Fylers to beat Colorado Buffaloes

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LAHAINA, HI – NOVEMBER 27: Obi Toppin #1 of the Dayton Flyers (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /

1. Get Obi Toppin the ball

This might seem like an obvious key, but Obi Toppin has been that good so far this year for the Flyers. The 6-9 sophomore has been one of the best mid-major players in the country, the best player in the Atlantic 10, and a legit candidate for an All-American team at this point in the season.

Toppin leads the Flyers in scoring at 20.1 points per game on efficient splits (63.9 field goal percentage, 75.0 percent free throw percentage, and 41.4 three-point percentage). He also grabs a team-high 8.1 rebounds per contest and is the team’s most reliable defender with 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steals (or 2.3 stocks) per game.

Toppin has yet to score under 11 points in a single game this season, and he started the campaign with five consecutive 20-plus point outings. He is even learning to become a better distributor, as he has three or more assists in three of his last four games, including a six assist night in their last outing, a win versus North Texas.

With Toppin on the court and the ball in his hands, the Flyers jump from a solid team to a Sweet 16 level squad.