Obi Toppin to Knicks with # 8 in the NBA Draft: 5 Facts to Know

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November 19, 2020
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Before Dayton striker Obi Toppin was voted eighth overall by the New York Knicks in the 2020 NBA draft on Wednesday, he ended his second season at the top.

Toppin, the nearly all-national player of the year winner, was also the school’s first unanimous All-American and had the Flyers well positioned to reach number 1 in the NCAA tournament.

Toppins skills are a skilled passerby with an athleticism off the charts. They can easily be carried over to the next level. His offensive presence helped Dayton achieve a school record of 29 wins despite the absence of a postseason.

LIVE DRAFT TRACKER: Selection and analysis from selection to selection

Toppin can really do everything. He was the nation’s only college basketball player last season who averaged 20 points and seven rebounds while shooting 60% off the floor.

Here are four more things you should know about the former flyer.

No scholarship offers

Toppin was “frivolously” recruited from Ossining High School in Westchester County, New York. That said, Toppin wasn’t recruited at all. He did not receive any Division I scholarship offers and instead opted for preparatory school. He spent his 2016-17 season at Mt. Zion Prep in Baltimore, where he averaged 17 points, 8 boards, and 5 assists. He was then promptly redshirted his first year at Dayton.

Elderly statesman

With the league getting younger and younger, Toppin will be an anomaly in this year’s draft. Because of his winding road to fame, Toppin turns 22 on Draft Night and is one of the oldest players on the board.

Kentucky connection

As with all NBA drafts, there must be at least a connection to John Calipari and Kentucky. Toppin’s brother Jacob joined the Wildcats after his first season in Rhode Island. It remains to be seen whether he will experience a similar meteoric rise to his big brother.

Growth spurt (s)

Speaking of meteorite rise, this is basically the best way to describe Toppin’s change in elevation. As a high school junior, Toppin only stood 6-foot-2. As a senior, he grew up to 6-foot-5 and now checks in at 6-foot-9. Anthony Davis had a similar rise in stature – and everything seems to be working out pretty well for him.

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Obi Toppin to Knicks with # 8 in the NBA Draft: 5 Facts to Know

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Obi Toppin to Knicks with # 8 in the NBA Draft: 5 Facts to Know

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A court opens proceedings against Begoña Gómez for alleged influence peddling

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