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Dayton Basketball: Takeaways from offensively dominant win over Davidson

By Michael Walton

DAYTON, OH - FEBRUARY 28: Obi Toppin #1 of the Dayton Flyers dunks the ball during the second half against the Davidson Wildcats at UD Arena on February 28, 2020 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OH - FEBRUARY 28: Obi Toppin #1 of the Dayton Flyers dunks the ball during the second half against the Davidson Wildcats at UD Arena on February 28, 2020 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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DAYTON, OH – FEBRUARY 28: Obi Toppin #1 of the Dayton Flyers (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

The Toppin National Player of the Year bandwagon is now a runaway train

For many basketball pundits, Obi Toppin was already a clear-cut frontrunner in the race for National Player of the Year but if he wasn’t already, he definitely is after Friday night. The Flyers absolutely dismantled a solid Davidson team (No. 66 KenPom) and Toppin was a major part of the domination as he set the tone. Dayton shot a ridiculously efficient 72.3% from the field and Toppin himself was a remarkable 10-for11 (90.9%) from the field. Just as important as the fact that Toppin scored efficiently was the fact that he continued to showcase a varied scoring profile.

Toppin went 3-for-4 from the 3-point line and a perfect 7-for-7 from 2-point range. Part of what makes Toppin’s case for the Wooden and AP Player of the Year awards so strong is how well he passes the eye test on top of the gaudy statistics. Toppin operates within the flow on the offense but still manages to stay aggressive. Early on he punished flat-footed Davidson bigs with his speed in transition, drives from the perimeter, and 3-point attempts in transition where he was the man trailing the fastbreak.

There was no answer for Toppin last night and he has been on a quite a run as of late amid his overall great season. Since scoring 12 points of 45.5% shooting in a win over VCU, Toppin has scored 19 or more points on at least 50% shooting in 3-straight games. Dayton has two games left in the regular season and though Toppin has already put an exclamation mark on his Player of the Year campaign(s), look for him to finish the season strong.