Busting Brackets
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Dayton vs. VCU: 2019-20 key storylines for heavyweight A-10 clash

By Jason Burgess

LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 27: The Dayton Flyers bench celebrates during the first half of the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 27, 2019 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)
LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 27: The Dayton Flyers bench celebrates during the first half of the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 27, 2019 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /
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DAYTON, OHIO – DECEMBER 17: Obi Toppin #1 of the Dayton Flyers (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OHIO – DECEMBER 17: Obi Toppin #1 of the Dayton Flyers (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

1. Obi Toppin and Marcus Santos-Silva will be a fun matchup

The first thing we are going to look at is the stories of the teams’ respective leading scorers, Obi Toppin for Dayton and VCU’s Marcus Santos-Silva.

Toppin entered the season as an NBA prospect but not one that garnered a ton of ink, but as we have turned the corner to 2020, he now finds himself dead in the NBA lottery conversation. Toppin has had a fantastic year so far with 19.3 points, 7.4 rebounds leading the Flyers in both categories as well as adding 2.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and even 1.3 blocks. The 6-9 sophomore’s stock rose after he averaged over 22 points per game leading Dayton to the final of the Maui Invitational and since then only once has he not notched double-digit points. He is shooting 63% from the field and has the ability to step out on the perimeter, knocking down 14 of his 42 three-point attempts on the season.

VCU’s Santos-Silva, like Toppin, leads the Rams in both scoring (13) and rebounding (9), while also shooting over 60% from the field and contributing over one assist, steal and block per game, but unlike Toppin, he is more of a prototypical power forward. While Toppin has been productive since he arrived at Dayton, Santos-Silva has improved each of his three seasons with the Rams. As a freshman, he averaged less than 10 minutes per game and just three points and three rebounds per game. As a sophomore the 6-7 forward from Massachusetts so a jump and playing time and as a result, his production went up to 10 points and over seven rebounds per game.

Now as a junior, Santos-Silva, even though the per-game numbers have risen slightly, he is on pace to set career highs in total rebounds, defensive rebounds, assists, steals, and points. While both players do it in different ways there are no more important players to their teams than these two forwards.