Obi Toppin: A tribute to a new Dayton Flyers hall of famer

“His second year, look out below. What’s your favorite Obi dunk at Dayton? You have 190 options. His sophomore year, he rocked the rim 107 times. My guy has crazy bounce. But don’t be fooled. He’s not just a dunker. Obi Toppin’s a baller. Like when he splashed that 3 against Kansas and turned around before it went in — 2019-20, only player in the country to average 20.7 boards and shoot over 60%.

“Oscar Robertson Award winner. Check. John Wooden Award winner. Check. Naismith College Player of the Year. Check. Obi Toppin checks the entire box. The man lives at the rim. He’s 1 of 1. Dayton’s No. 1. Congrats, Ob.’”

The Toppin story will be told again and again for as long as the Flyers play. He was an unranked recruit in 2017 who joined a program in transition from the Archie Miller years to the Anthony Grant era. The phrase “Built at Dayton” started with Toppin.

Toppin’s loyalty to Dayton since his final game in 2020 has added to his legacy. He returns to campus every year to host a basketball camp for kids. He has sat behind the bench at home games. He has played pickup basketball on several occasions with current members of the team.

Toppin endeared himself to Dayton fans and vice versa in three years at UD. The connection has grown even stronger in his six-year NBA career.

“The love that I get from the fans of Dayton,” Toppin said before his induction in a video shared by the official Dayton social media accounts, “the love that I get from the coaches, the players, the whole organization — basically the reason why I went to Dayton — I still feel that love now, six years out of out of college. So having that opportunity to be inducted into (the hall of fame at an) amazing university is a blessing."

Toppin’s Dayton years were well chronicled by the Dayton Daily News. Here’s a look back at some of the best Toppin stories, moments, games, etc.

Best early scouting report: Toppin signed with Dayton in May 2017 during a birthday dinner for his aunt at Sweet Chick’s, a comfort food restaurant in the East Village in New York City. His whole family surrounded him, holding up UD T-shirts and hats, for a group photo after the signing.

Grant’s comments after the signing summed up Toppin’s potential well.

“He’s got great size, skill and athleticism,” Grant said. “I think he has a very high ceiling. Adding him to our team, we’re getting a great kid from a great family and a guy that fell in love with Dayton from the time he stepped on campus. I think it’s a great fit both ways. It’ll be great for us, and it’ll be a great place for him. I think it’s a good match.”

Most memorable recruiting story: Prior to his Dayton debut in 2018, Toppin told Dayton Daily News columnist Tom Archdeacon a funny story about his first visit to Dayton as a recruit.

“When I was getting on the plane to come out here, the board said Dayton, Ohio,” Toppin said. “I thought I was going to Daytona, Florida. I’m looking at it and finally I call Coach (Ricardo) Greer. I was like, ‘Aaaahh ... it says I’m going to Ohio, not Florida!’ And he says, ‘Yeah, the school’s in Ohio.’

“I was like ‘Aw snap….Dang!’”

Toppin first experienced the Flyer Faithful on that trip.

“When I was on the plane, people were like ‘So you’re coming in for a visit at Dayton?’,” he said. “I was like, ‘Wow! How do people already know that?’ And when I got off the plane people wanted to take pictures with me and stuff. I felt the vibe, like they wanted me here and were accepting me already.”

Earliest sign of greatness: A 30-second clip on social media in August 2018 showed Toppin playing pickup basketball against NBA players. He showed off a tip dunk, a fadeaway jumper, his 3-point shot, a windmill dunk and a tough layup against contact.

First injury scare: With Josh Cunningham sidelined for the season opener in 2018, Toppin earned a start in his first college game. He led Dayton with 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

In the second half, though, fans gasped as Toppin limped off the court in pain. It wasn’t a serious injury — just cramps — and trainer Mike Mulcahey knew how to address that issue. He gave Toppin a jar of pickle juice to drink.

“I’ve used pickles for years,” Mulcahey said. “It’s something I learned from a physician a long time ago. It’s natural and it’s amazing how quickly it works for kids who are cramping.”

Most surprising dunk: Toppin debuted his between-the-legs dunk, which became his signature slam, on Dec. 29, 2018, in a 94-90 victory against Georgia Southern at UD Arena. A Dayton Daily News video of the dunk received more than 400,000 views in the next 24 hours.

Toppin scored 22 points on 9-of-10 shooting in that game. He said then it was “for sure” his greatest dunk, but he might not attempt such a dunk again in a close game after Grant talked to him. Dayton led by 11 after the dunk, but Georgia Southern trimmed the deficit to one point twice in the final three minutes.

“He said, ‘Make sure the next time you look at the clock and see the situation we were in,’” Toppin said. “I didn’t even know it was a close game. He just said, ‘Be mindful of the score and the time.’”

Even Toppin’s teammates, who had seen the dunk in practice, were surprised he attempted it in a game.

“First off when he did it, it was, ‘Did he really just do that in a game?’” forward Josh Cunningham said. “It was shocking to me, especially only being up (nine) at the time. It was kind of brave of him to do that.”

After the game, Grant said, “I’m happy it went in, but as a freshman, you have to understand time and score and understand situations. You have to understand the game a little bit. Because it went in, it’s a play the crowd gets excited about. Those are potentially momentum-swinging plays. I think it was a three-possession game at the time. (The dunk) was a little risqué for my tastes, but not very many people on this earth can make that play. I know it’s a highlight play, and it’ll probably be on SportsCenter, but at the end of the day, as a competitor, you play to win. You have to put that at the forefront of everything else.”

Best dunk on a sibling: In the 2019-20 season, Toppin twice played against his brother Jacob, who was then a freshman at Rhode Island.

Prior to the first game on Feb. 11 at UD Arena, Obi said he would put Jacob on SportsCenter by dunking on him.

“I have to show him who Big Bro’ is!” Obi said.

Then Obi did just that, throwing down a one-handed windmill slam as Jacob slapped at the ball from behind, drawing a foul.

“Didn’t I tell you the other day I was going to put Jacob on SportsCenter?” Obi said.

Highest points total: Toppin scored a career-high 31 points on 15-of-24 shooting in a 77-59 victory against North Florida on Dec. 30, 2019. The 31 points surpassed his previous career high of 29, which he had against Indiana State in the season opener in November.

Toppin also set a school record with 10 dunks against North Florida, breaking the mark of eight he set a season earlier against Detroit Mercy.

After the game, North Florida coach Matthew Driscoll stopped to talk to Toppin in the handshake line. Driscoll told Archdeacon what he said after the game.

“I told him I was proud of the way he carries himself,” Driscoll said. “I stood here and watched him in pregame and watched him in the stands with people and interacting with his teammates. There’s his kindness and his heart and it shows with the team.

“He’s such a star, but he’s so unselfish, so willing to be a team guy. And it echoes more with the other guys. It gives them a confidence that they don’t have to rest on quote-unquote ‘one dude.’ When your best dude is also your hardest worker, a great defender and with the way he shares the sugar, it affects the whole team and next thing you know they’re super connected.”

Best all-around game: No Dayton player has ever recorded a triple-double. Toppin came close on March 1, 2019, in a 72-70 overtime loss to Rhode Island at UD Arena. He had 26 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

Most memorable 3-pointer: At the Maui Invitational in 2019, Toppin averaged 22.3 points in the three games.

In the championship game against Kansas, he shot a 3-pointer in front of the Kansas bench, turned around while the ball was in the air and stared down the Jayhawks as the ball swished through the net.

Dayton lost 98-84 in overtime, but Toppin’s performance in the tournament started the hype drive that would lead to him winning all the major national player of the year awards.

“He’s a special talent,” Dayton Athletic Director Neil Sullivan said after the Kansas game, “and we’re lucky to have him.”

Most efficient performance: Toppin scored 22 points on 11-of-11 shooting in an 85-72 victory against Western Michigan on Dec. 19, 2018, at UD Arena.

“Obi finished a lot of great plays,” Grant said. “He’s one of the few guys I’ve seen that can finish the kind of plays he finished. His teammates did a good job of getting him the ball.”

Toppin tied Mike Sylvester, who made 11 of 11 shots against Xavier in 1974, for the highest single-game field-goal percentage in school history.

Mike Kanieski is the only other player in school history to take at least 10 shots without a miss. His 10-of-10 night came against Hofstra in 1981.

Credit: David Jablonski - Staff Writer

Credit: David Jablonski - Staff Writer

Biggest clutch shot: Toppin missed his first five 3-pointers against Colorado on Dec. 21, 2019, at the United Center in Chicago but made a game-tying 3-pointer with six seconds to play in the second half.

The Flyers still lost 78-76 in overtime. It was their final loss of the season. They won their last 20 games to finish 29-2.

Worst performance: Toppin scored in single digits 10 times in 64 appearances at Dayton. He scored a career-low three points on 1-of-7 shooting in a 72-67 victory at Massachusetts on Jan. 13, 2019.

Best record: Toppin set a school record with 190 dunks in his career. His first two career field goals were dunks, as were his last five.

Toppin set a school record with 83 dunks in his first season and broke that mark with 107 dunks in his second season.

Chris Wright set the previous career record with 177 dunks in four seasons (2007-11).

“He’s an extremely athletic kid,” Wright said in 2019. “To be able to do some of the things he’s done and use that in different parts of the game is key. You can be a dunker, but being able to use that in other parts of your game is what really sets you apart from other athletes.”

Best milestone: Toppin scored his 1,000th point in an 80-70 victory against Duquesne on Feb. 21, 2020, at UD Arena.

Toppin was the eighth fastest player to 1,000 points in UD history, reaching the milestone in his 60th game. Hank Finkel reached 1,000 in 41 games and was followed by Donald Smith (46), Don May (49), Bill Uhl Sr. (53), Johnny Davis (56), Dave Colbert (57) and Don Meineke (57).

Toppin ranks 41st in UD history in scoring (1,096). He’s tied for 12th in scoring average (17.1) with DaRon Holmes II.

Best friendship: Jalen Crutcher was the first new recruit signed by Grant and his staff in the spring of 2017. Toppin was the second. They formed an instant bond after arriving on campus — one that translated into many lob passes on the court.

Archdeacon wrote about Toppin and Crutcher’s connection in 2020 and talked to Toppin’s mom Roni.

They like to eat the same kind of food and listen to the same music.

Obi Toppin and Jalen Crutcher say they clean up after each other in the apartment they share and Obi’s mom, Roni Toppin, said when either of them is about to leave for classes, he waits for the other so they can make the short walk to campus together.

“Early on when they started doing interviews with the media, Jalen would always help Obi out,” Roni said. “In the beginning he was better with words, so if Obi got stuck, Jalen finished the sentence for him.”

The thought made her laugh: “They’re like an old couple.”

“Like an old married couple,” specified Ryan Mikesell, their Dayton Flyers teammate. “Those two are inseparable. When you see Obi, there’s Jalen. And when you see Jalen, Obi’s always there, too.”

Best goodbye: Toppin scored 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting in a 76-51 victory against George Washington on March 7, 2020, at UD Arena. It would turn out to be his last game with the Flyers.

In the second half, Toppin dunked three times in fewer than 90 seconds. He powered the first dunk over a George Washington defender. The second dunk included a 360-degree spin in the air. He returned to the dunk that helped make him famous with the third dunk in that sequence, taking the ball between the legs before slamming it.

“Obi’s different,” Dayton guard Dwayne Cohill said. “It’s not everyday you see a man go between his legs in a game and do a 360 and throw the ball through somebody’s chest.”

Worst ending: The pandemic ended the 2019-20 season five days after the George Washington game. Dayton was ranked third in the country and could have secured a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament with a strong performance in the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament.

The “What if” question will always hang over Toppin and that team.

Toppin talked about that in January 2022 on his first visit to UD Arena for a game since March 2020.

“You guys could have potentially won the whole thing,” a reporter told Toppin during a halftime interview he did with local media. “Here we are two years later. How have you coped?”

“I’m glad you said we would have won the whole thing,” Toppin said, “but it took me a couple games into my NBA season to get over it just because I had it in the back of my mind. It was definitely a fun run to get that far. But I’m in the NBA now. So I’m blessed.”