Dayton’s Obi Toppin, Iowa’s Luka Garza favorites in player of year race

That was the gist of its post on Twitter on Monday. A photo compared the two players’ stats against ranked teams. Iowa has played 11 games against teams currently ranked in the Associated Press top 25, and Dayton has played one.

Toppin fared well in that one game, scoring 18 points and grabbing eight rebounds in an overtime loss to Kansas.

» POLL NEWS: Flyers rise again in top 25

Iowa’s Twitter post included a quote from Iowa coach Fran McCaffery.

“I believe Luka Garza is the (National) Player of the Year,” McCaffery said. “The consistency of productivity, considering the quality of teams in our league and the quality of big guy that he's doing it (against), I think, is what separates him."

Toppin and Garza are the favorites in the Associated Press National Player of the Year race, one of several awards honoring the nation’s best player, according to SportsBetting.ag.

Here are the website’s latest odds: Toppin (+250); Garza (+350); Devon Dotson, Kansas (+700); Myles Powell, Seton Hall (+700); Markus Howard, Marquette (+1000); Malachi Flynn, San Diego State (+1000); Peyton Pritchard, Oregon (+1000); Anthony Cowan, Maryland (+1200); Cassius Winston, Michigan State (+1200); Jared Butler, Baylor (+1200); Jordan Nwora, Louisville (+1200); and Filip Petrusev, Gonzaga (+1600).

» ANALYSIS: How did Dayton make 27 2-point shots in a row?

The same website has Dayton has Dayton with the fourth-best odds to win the NCAA championship:  Kansas +500; Gonzaga +700; Baylor +900; Dayton +1000; Duke +1200; Kentucky +1200; Michigan State +1400; San Diego State +1400.