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We previously profiled Jordan Pierce, Jordan Davis and Jalen Crutcher while Tom Archdeacon provided a detailed look at Matej Svoboda.
Here is what you need to know about Obi Toppin:
Position: Forward
Measurements: 6-8, 193
Hometown: Ossining, N.Y.
Noteworthy: After growing from 6-foot-2 to 6-5 following his junior season, Toppin averaged 20.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.0 steals as a senior at Ossining High School. He followed that up with a year at Mt. Zion Prep in Baltimore, where he averaged 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists. He grew another three inches during his year of prep school.
How'd he get here? Toppin signed with Dayton in May after visiting Rhode Island, Georgetown and Fordham. He also had offers from Illinois and Mississippi State. Unrated by 247Sports, he qualifies as a late-bloomer and a true under-the-radar recruit. He is sitting out this season as an academic redshirt.
Credit: DaytonDailyNews
First impressions of Dayton and the Miami Valley: The East Coast native admitted he knew nothing about the area until he was recruited by the Flyers, but "when I came here on my visit, I kind of knew it was the place to be because everybody, all the fans were tweeting about me. It was a really cool experience."
He called UD Arena, “ridiculous. It’s like being in an NBA gym every day.”
Toppin on Toppin: "I'm a stretch four (power forward). I can shoot. I can get to the rim. I can jump."
Grant on Toppin: "He's got great size, skill and athleticism. I think he has a very high ceiling. I think adding him to our team, we're getting a great kid from a great family and a guy that fell in love with Dayton from the time he stepped on campus. I think it's a great fit both ways. It'll be great for us, and it'll be a great place for him. I think it's a good match.
“He won’t be playing this year, but with the growth he’s had over the course of the time in the summer, we think his upside is really good.”
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