NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Four University of Dayton men's basketball players –
Obi Toppin,
Jalen Crutcher,
Josh Cunningham and
Ryan Mikesell – earned All-Atlantic 10 honors today in a vote of the league's coaches and sports information directors.
Toppin was named A-10 Rookie of the Year and First Team All-Atlantic 10. He is the first University of Dayton player to be named Rookie of the Year, and the first freshman named First Team All-Atlantic 10 since Lamar Odom was selected in 1998-99.
The 6-foot-9 redshirt freshman forward from Ossining, N.Y.is fourth nationally in FG% (.673, 189-281) and is second in dunks (school-record 80). He leads UD in scoring (14.4), is second in FT% (.718, 61-85), and third in rebounding (5.6) and assists (59, tied with
Trey Landers).
Since conference play began in January, he has increased his scoring production every month – 12.0 in January, 17.0 in February and 19.3 in March. Over the last 12 games of the season, he has averaged 18.3 points and 7.9 rebounds a game.
Toppin was also named to the A-10 All-Rookie Team.
Cunningham and Crutcher were both named Third Team All-Atlantic 10. For Cunningham it was his second consecutive year named to the third team. The three-time captain and redshirt senior from Chicago is second for the Flyers in scoring (13.8), rebounding (6.4) and FG% (.640, 151-236). His field goal mark is ninth in the Division I, making Dayton the only school with two players ranked in the top ten.
Crutcher was on the All-Rookie team as a freshman last season. The point guard from Memphis, Tenn. Is second in the A-10 in assists per game (5.7), and also second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.11). He is third for Dayton in scoring this year (13.0) and leads the team in three-pointers made (2.1).
Mikesell was named Academic All-Atlantic 10. A redshirt junior forward from St. Henry, Ohio, Mikesell is a Mechanical Engineering major who averages 10.4 points and 5.3 rebounds a game. In order to be eligible for the All-Academic Team a student-athlete must be a starter or primary reserve and have a minimum grade point average of 3.0.
Dayton finished third in the Atlantic 10 this season with a 13-5 conference record. UD is 21-10 overall, and will play its first game in the quarterfinals of the A-10 men's basketball championship on Friday. The Flyers will play the winner who emerges from Fordham, Richmond and Saint Louis. Game time at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn is 8:30 p.m. ET.
