SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – University of Dayton forward Obi Toppin has been named to the 2020 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Watch List.  Toppin, who last season was the first freshman since 1999 to be named First Team All-Atlantic 10, is one of 20 top college players named to the watch list.

Toppin is the first Dayton player on the Malone Watch List.  Last year, he led UD in scoring (14.4), FG% (.666, 201-302), 3-pt., FG% (.524, 11-21) and blocked shots (28).  He was the first UD player named the A-10 Rookie of the Year. He was fourth in the nation in FG%, and his 83 dunks were second in Division I.  He set Dayton freshman records for total points (475), scoring average, FG% and dunks.  His field goal percentage was also the third-best overall single season mark at Dayton.

After pulling his name from NBA draft consideration last spring, Toppin turned heads with his performance at the Nike Skills Academy in August.

Some of the student-athletes on the Karl Malone Watch List include Garrison Brooks of North Carolina, Mamadi Diakite of Virginia, E.J Montgomery of Kentucky, Xavier Tillman of Michigan State and Killian Tillie of Gonzaga.

The award is presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and named after 11-time All-NBA First Team selection Karl Malone.  It is part of the Hall of Fame's "Starting Five" awards program.  The other awards on the men's side are the Bob Cousy Point Guard Award, the Jerry West Shooting Guard Award, the Julius Erving Small Forward Award and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center Award.  All five greats are members of the Naismith Hall of Fame.

Duke's Zion Williamson was last year's Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award winner. 

New to the award program this season is Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds. By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2020 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Malone and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner of the 2020 Karl Malone Award will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy's in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 10, 2020, along with the other four members of the Men's Starting Five.

Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live on Friday, October 18 at 1 p.m. ET.  Click here to #VoteForObi.   

For more information, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall on Twitter and Instagram.