Toppin named to watch list for Karl Malone Award

The other players on the list, which was released Thursday, are: Tristan Clark, Baylor; Yoeli Childs, BYU; Lamine Diane, Cal State Northridge; Killian Tillie, Gonzaga; EJ Montgomery, Kentucky; Trendon Watford, LSU; Jalen Smith, Maryland; Xavier Tillman, Michigan State; Reggie Perry, Mississippi State; Garrison Brooks, North Carolina; John Mooney, Notre Dame; Kaleb Wesson, Ohio State; Brady Manek, Oklahoma; Lamar Stevens, Penn State; Trevion Williams, Purdue; Isaiah Mobley, USC; Alexis Yetna, USF; Mamadi Diakite, Virginia; and Tyrique Jones, Xavier.

» TOPPIN COVERAGE: Improving NBA Draft stock | Photos through the years | Excited about team’s potential

The list will be narrowed to 10 in February, and there will be five finalists named in March.

There will be fan voting for the award this season for the first time. It starts at 1 p.m Friday. Fans can help narrow the list to 10 players in mid-February and to five in March. The Basketball Hall of Fame's selection committee will then choose a winner, which will be announced at the sixth annual ESPN College Basketball Awards Show in Los Angeles on April 10.

Toppin averaged 14.4 points and 5.6 rebounds last season, his first season on the court with Dayton as a redshirt freshman. He arrived at UD in June 2017 but sat out the 2017-18 season as an academic redshirt. In the 2018-19 season, he was named to the All-Atlantic 10 first team. He was the first rookie to earn that honor in 20 years. He also became the first Dayton player to win the A-10 Rookie of the Year Award.