DAYTON – Roommates Jalen Crutcher and Obi Toppin were named the University of Dayton men's basketball team's 2019-20 White-Allen Most Valuable Players today.   The duo who is sometimes called "Peanut Butter & Jam" were honored as part of the Flyer men's basketball team's awards banquet Sunday morning.

A three-year starter from Memphis, Tenn. Crutcher leads Dayton in minutes (33.7), assists (4.9) three-pointers (2.4 per game), 3-pt. FG% (.468, 147-314) and FT% (.869, 86-99), and is second in scoring (15.1).  In Atlantic 10 Conference games, he is the only player in the top seven of the guard-oriented stat categories -- scoring (7th), assists (7th), 3-pt. FG's (5th), 3-pt % (4th), FT% (3rd) and A/T ratio (1st).  

Toppin is on the short list for every major national player of the year award. The Brooklyn native leads the Flyers in scoring (20.0), rebounding (7.5) and FG% (.633, 245-387) while shooting .390 (32-82) from three-point range, and .702 (99-141) from the line.  He is the only player in the country who is averaging 20.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and shooting over 60% from the field.  He also has the best field goal percentage in the last five years of any Division I player who averages 20 points a game.

The White-Allen Most Valuable Player Trophy is sponsored by Tim White and White Allen Auto Group, Inc.  The award is selected by members of the team. The White Allen Trophy has been awarded annually since 1953.  White Allen now sponsors the MVP award for UD's men's and women's basketball, football and volleyball teams.  

Crutcher was also the winner of the Alex Schoen Memorial Free Throw Trophy, which goes to UD's top free throw shooter.  The Schoen Trophy is named in honor of Alex Schoen, Sr., the captain of UD's first varsity basketball team in 1903-04. Awarded since 1950, it is sponsored by Alex Schoen, Jr.  It goes to the UD player with the highest FT% with a minimum of 50 free throws attempted.

As the team's top rebounder, Toppin also won the "Shorty" Sharpenter Memorial Rebounding Trophy.   The Sharpenter award is named for Hall of Famer Ned "Shorty" Sharpenter, and has been sponsored by his family since its inception in 1979.  

Trey Landers was named the Chris Daniels Memorial Most Improved Player.  Landers improvement was not so much for his statistical performance (he is a two-year double-figure scorer) as much as his leadership.  Landers' is the team's "alpha" and his positive direction on a daily basis has paved the way to a championship season.   

The Daniels Award is presented in memory of Flyer center Chris Daniels.  Originated in 1994-95 as the most improved player award, this award was renamed for Daniels following his death in 1996.  

Landers and Rodney Chatman were co-winners of the Steve McElvene Award as the team's top defenders.  Even though Landers is a 6-foot-5 guard, his strength and physicality allow him to be Dayton's best post defender, where he might give up four inches to his opponent.  Chatman is a shutdown perimeter defender who regular holds high-scoring guards well under their average.

The Best Defender Award was first presented in 1995, but it was named last year in the memory of Steve McElvene, who died suddenly at home in the spring of 2016 of an undetectable heart condition.  In his only college basketball season, McElvene broke the Dayton single-season blocked shot record.

Landers was also named the winner of the James G. and Purcell S. Palmer Scholarship.  The Palmer Scholarship is given on behalf of the late Jim Palmer and his wife Purcell.  Mr. Palmer was a former Flyer and NBA player. The award is presented to the Dayton player who best embodies his characteristics, on and off the court.

Ryan Mikesell was named the winner of the Dr. George Rau Spirit Award, which is given annually to the player (or players) who display true team spirit, on and off the court.  A fifth-year graduate student who started every game, he was chosen even though the previous two winners of the award – Obi Toppin and Camron Greer – are still on the team. 

The Harry O'Rourke Insurance Agency sponsors the Rau Award, which was first presented after the long-time Flyer team physician's death in 1972.

Jordy Tshimanga earned two awards.  He was announced as the recipient of the Uhl Family Endowed Scholarship, and the John L. Macbeth Memorial Scholar-Athlete Award.  The Uhl scholarship is awarded to the UD player who best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship and character.  It is named after and endowed by former Flyers Bill Uhl and Bill Uhl II.  The Macbeth Scholar-Athlete Award is presented in memory of Dayton businessman John L. Macbeth, and is sponsored by Mrs. John L. Macbeth and family.  It has been awarded since 1959.  

Ibi Watson was named the winner of the Thomas M. Luppe Award, which is awarded to the first-year player (or players) on the team who best demonstrates the courage, desire and integrity of former Flyer freshman Tom Luppe.  Watson was the team's "sixth starter" averaging over 20 minutes a game and is the team's fourth player in double figures on the season.  

The Luppe Award honors Thomas M. Luppe, who died in 1963 while playing in a UD freshman game.  

The Flyers are currently ranked third in the nation and have won 20 consecutive games.  At 29-2, Dayton has already set a school record for wins in a season with the Atlantic 10 tournament and the post-season yet to come.  UD won its third A-10 regular season in the last five years, but this season went undefeated (18-0) for the first time.

Coach Anthony Grant is among the top contenders for national coach of the year honors.   He is a semifinalist for the Naismith Coach of the Year Award, and a finalist for the Wooden Coach of the Year Award. He is also under consideration by two other major outlets.

Dayton leads the nation as a team in field goal percentage (.525, 905-1725).  That is also better than the school record single-season FG% (.509, 867-1702 in 1981-82). 


2019-20 UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON MEN'S BASKETBALL AWARDS

WHITE-ALLEN MOST VALUABLE PLAYER – JALEN CRUTCHER & OBI TOPPIN

ALEX SCHOEN FREE THROW PERCENTAGE – JALEN CRUTCHER

JOHN L. MACBETH SCHOLAR-ATHLETE – JORDY TSHIMANGA

DR. GEORGE RAU SPIRIT AWARD – RYAN MIKESELL

"SHORTY" SHARPENTER TOP REBOUNDER – OBI TOPPIN

CHRIS DANIELS MEMORIAL AWARD – TREY LANDERS

THOMAS M. LUPPE MEMORIAL AWARD – IBI WATSON

STEVE McELVENE BEST DEFENDER AWARD – RODNEY CHATMAN & TREY LANDERS

UHL FAMILY ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP – JORDY TSHIMANGA

JAMES G & PURCELL S. PALMER SCHOLARSHIP – TREY LANDERS