He was not squaring bigger defenders up on the perimeter and beating them off the dribble. Dayton sophomore Obi Toppin's NBA Draft stock continues to rise and has strong ambition to be the best player in college hoops. While he was far from a lock to be drafted, he was expected to keep his name in the draft and make a run at the professional ranks.Dosunmu will enter the season as an All-American and will be in the mix for Big Ten Player of the Year as well.The key for the Illini now will be Kofi Cockburn, their star center who has yet to announce whether or not he will return to school. Overall, Obi Toppin is undoubtedly one of the 2020 NBA draft’s most thrilling players. There isn’t a player in this year’s draft class that sums up how weird the top of the 2020 NBA Draft is going to be better than Obi Toppin.He’s college basketball’s reigning National Player of the Year. Finally able to play as a 20-year old redshirt freshman for the 2018-19 campaign he led his team in scoring and rebounding and then this past season he exploded.After lighting up nearly every team in his path, seemingly every college basketball accolade was rewarded to Toppin including an All-American selection, the Karl Malone Award (given to the nation’s top power forward), and the Naismith College Basketball Player Of The Year, just to name a few. “But first, I need that national championship. 1 or 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, which was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.He is ranked 27th on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,085 points.Mitchell said Friday that he made his decision after speaking with his family and coaching staff.Besides completing his degree, “I am excited to join my teammates and for the opportunity to lead our quest for another Mountain West championship, and potential return to the NCAA Tournament,” he said.Coach Brian Dutcher said it was important for Mitchell to meet with NBA teams and hear their evaluations.“As we focus on earning another Mountain West championship in 2020-21, this experience can only be a positive for Matt and the Aztecs,” Dutcher said.Mitchell started last season as the sixth man but moved into the starting lineup after Nathan Mensah was sidelined with a respiratory ailment.Stanford freshman Tyrell Terry announced on Friday that he will be keeping his name in the 2020 NBA Draft, foregoing his final three seasons of eligibility.“After much thought and careful consideration, I have decided to keep my name in the draft,” Terry said in a statement. They remade their roster is typical Eric Musselman fashion. The system allowed Toppin to thrive.We’ve talked quite a bit about the value of point guards that can make every read and every pass coming off of a ball-screen.
While his consensus projection will likely end up somewhere around the early-30s, Terry is the type of prospect that NBA organizations vary on. The way that Michigan State has set him and his family up on campus is wonderful, and he has a really good thing going while sitting a year away from a college degree.At this point, I think Tillman is a legitimate 50-50 decision.Henry is clearly a valuable piece to the puzzle for the Spartans, as is Josh Langford, who may or may not be returning after a foot injury cost him the 2019-20 season. This past season, he shot 39 percent from three on 2.6 attempts per game. Mark Few’s teams pound the ball into the paint, and next season is not going to be any different given the amount of talented big men on the roster. Colorado is relevant with Wright in the fold. He’s not expected to be a first round pick and there’s a chance he could drop out of the top 45. They are not without him.Mamu is coming off of a season where he averaged 11.9 points and 6.0 boards as one of the more underrated big men in college basketball. Showing great confidence in his handle he’s able to keep his head up at all times, reading defences and delivering pinpoint passes as soon as the proper read is there.The crazy length and dynamic jumping ability make Toppin an energetic weak side defender. The Cardinal bring back everyone off of last year’s team while adding Ziaire Williams, a five-star, one-and-done freshman that will slide right in at the four. For that reason teams are always looking for ball handlers who can operate off of screens, but what about the other half of the equation?Toppin is quite possibly the most talented pick and roll big man of the last few seasons and his intrigue can come from the fact he can beat you in a few different ways.If he rolls to the hoop he’s an extraordinary lob threat. He’s not overly skilled as a perimeter player. A 6’9” forward with incredible explosion and stunning offence instincts some general managers thought he was worthy of a G League spot, but no one would have ever expected him to be where he is now.Toppin’s basketball journey has been a fascinating one.
When the Flyers did go up against teams with bigger, more physical post players, Toppin struggled. The 2020 NBA Draft’s wild card is almost certainly going to be Obi Toppin of Dayton.