Atlantic 10 Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)
By Joey Loose
1. Obi Toppin
It’s hard to argue against this one: the A-10 is another conference where the best player of the last decade is a name that really floats to the top. A 6’9 forward from Ossining, New York, Toppin evolved into an elite weapon at Dayton under Anthony Grant, with his legendary sophomore season solidifying his place both in the history of the Flyers and the A-10.
Toppin wasn’t bad as a freshman, averaging 14.4 points and 5.6 rebounds for a 21-win Dayton team, but his sophomore season was just so impressive. That year would see him average 20.0 points and 7.5 rebounds for a Dayton squad that would’ve earned a 1-seed had the NCAA Tournament not been cancelled by the pandemic. He mastered his craft and was one of the nation’s best offensive players and one of the best frontcourt pieces that the A-10 has ever seen.
Next. Tio 25 players from AAC in past decade. dark
Toppin raked in the honors as a sophomore, winning AP Player of the Year and many of the other national awards, including the Karl Malone Award and the Naismith Award. He was A-10 Rookie of the Year as a freshman and the clear Player of the Year as a sophomore, really developing into an elite threat at the national level, not even just in mid-major ball. He was one of the national leaders in field goal percentage in both collegiate seasons and it remains a horrific shame that he and his Dayton squad didn’t get a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament in 2020.