The sight of Toppin brought back memories of what could have been two years ago if not for the pandemic, which cost Dayton the chance to compete in the postseason after a 29-2 regular season.
“You guys could have potentially won the whole thing,” a reporter told Toppin during a halftime interview he did with local media. “Here we are two years later. How have you coped?”
“I’m glad you said we would have won the whole thing,” Toppin said, “but it took me a couple games into my NBA season to get over it just because I had it in the back of my mind. It was definitely a fun run to get that far. But I’m in the NBA now. So I’m blessed.”
Toppin, the consensus national player of the year as a redshirt sophomore, now plays in his hometown for the New York Knicks, who selected him with the No. 8 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. He has more than doubled his scoring average from his rookie season to his second season (4.1 points per game to 8.6) and has seen more playing time (11.0 minutes per game as a rookie and 16.8 this season).
However, Toppin fans express their frustration every time the Knicks play with his lack of consistent playing time. He played 45 minutes and scored 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting in his second career start Sunday in a 120-105 loss to the Toronto Raptors and then had two points in nine minutes Tuesday in a 104-94 victory against the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden. Toppin only moved into the starting lineup for two games because All-Star Julius Randle was on the COVID-19 list.
It’s not only the fans who want Toppin to get more time. Ian O’Connor, of the New York Post, wrote a column last week with the headline: “Knicks need to start giving Obi Toppin more minutes.”
“Toppin has his flaws for sure,” O’Connor wrote, “yet his pros far outweigh his cons. He needs to start playing 25-plus minutes every night, even if that means more pine time for Randle. If the Knicks are to grow into a serious playoff contender, they’ll need a lift. And Obi Toppin lifts off like no other New Yorker.”
Of course, Toppin wasn’t in Dayton to talk about his role in the Knicks rotation. This was a chance to revisit his glory days at UD. This was the first time he had witnessed a game at UD Arena since March 7, 2020, when Dayton beat George Washington 76-51 in what would turn out to be the final game of the season and the final game of Toppin’s college career — though no one knew that at the time.
Toppin made the trip in between games with the Knicks — they have games Tuesday and Thursday this week — and kept his visit a secret. Only a few people at UD knew. He visited the Dayton locker room before the game.
“It was great to see Obi,” Dayton coach Anthony Grant said. “I didn’t know he was coming back. He surprised me and the team. I think (assistant coach) Ricardo (Greer) helped make that happen, but it was great to see him. I know they play tomorrow. So for him to take time out of his schedule to want to come back and and support his team and this community, I think it shows you what this place meant to him and the pride he took in being a Dayton Flyer.”
Toppin took his seat behind the Dayton bench moments before the opening tipoff with his family, including his girlfriend Magdalena Bellinger, a former George Mason soccer player, his mom Roni Toppin and his brother Jacob Toppin, who’s averaging 6.1 points in his second season with the Kentucky Wildcats.
The crowd erupted as Toppin was shown on the scoreboard. At the first TV timeout, Toppin walked onto Tom Blackburn Court with a microphone and addressed the crowd.
“Man, I miss you guys,” Toppin said. “It feels so good to be back, though. It feels amazing. I just want to say, ‘Bring a lot of energy tonight.’ These guys are going to need it. We going to get this win tonight for you guys. Just have fun out there. I miss you guys, love you guys. You guys have a good one.”
About the Author
