Obi Toppin named to roster for USA Men’s Select Team

Former Dayton Flyers forward Obi Toppin was one of 17 players named to the roster for the USA Men’s Select Team, which will train with the U.S. National Team from July 6-9 at UNLV’s Mendenhall Center.

“It’s an honor to be selected for the USA Select Team,” Toppin said in a video the New York Knicks shared on Twitter. “It’s an opportunity for me to get out to Vegas and play against the best players in the world: guys like KD (Kevin Durant), Khris Middleton, Kevin Love, Damian Lillard, all those guys on the U.S. team. I can’t wait to get out there and help them prepare to go to Tokyo and win a gold medal.”

“Great to be a part of the USA family.”

Obi & Quick spoke on being invited to the 2021 @usabasketball Select Team. Time to represent! pic.twitter.com/HhoyJNAi60
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) July 1, 2021

Joining Toppin on the team are: Saddiq Bey (Detroit Pistons/Villanova); Miles Bridges (Charlotte Hornets/Michigan State); Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves/Georgia); Darius Garland(Cleveland Cavaliers/Vanderbilt); Tyrese Haliburton (Sacramento Kings/Iowa State); Tyler Herro (Miami Heat/Kentucky); John Jenkins (Bilbao Basket, Italy/Vanderbilt); Keldon Johnson (San Antonio Spurs/Kentucky); Josh Magette (Darüşşafaka Tekfen, Turkey/Alabama-Huntsville); Dakota Mathias (Philadelphia 76ers/Purdue); Immanuel Quickley (New York Knicks/Kentucky); Naz Reid (Minnesota Timberwolves/LSU); Cam Reynolds (Houston Rockets/Tulane); Isaiah Stewart (Detroit Pistons/Washington); P.J. Washington (Charlotte Hornets/Kentucky); and Patrick Williams (Chicago Bulls/Florida State).

» EARLIER COVERAGE: Toppin shows improvement in rookie season

The players will be led by Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, who will be assisted by Gonzaga University head coach Mark Few and Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Jamahl Mosley.

“This USA Select Team continues the legacy established by previous Select teams of helping prepare our USA National Team for the Tokyo Olympic Games,” said Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball Men’s National Team managing director, in a press release. “With all the uncertainty of how many of our Olympic Team members will be available for the USA training camp because of the overlap with the NBA Finals, we chose a USA Select Team consisting of many of the top young NBA players and four players who not only own international experience, but who played recently for USA Basketball in important national team qualifying competitions.If we need to add players to fill out our roster for any of our exhibition games, we feel this USA Select Team has an excellent variety of skilled players to choose from.”

Toppin spent three years at the University of Dayton and played two seasons on the court. He was the consensus national player of the year in 2020 for a team that finished 29-2. He was the No. 8 pick in the 2020 draft and averaged 4.1 points in 62 games in his rookie season with the New York Knicks.

Toppin’s summer will also include a visit to Dayton. He will host a basketball camp for kids July 20-21 at Bales Arena in Beavercreek.

In Other News

Archdeacon: Team Canada part of something bigger at UD

High school bowlers roll into the season on a high note

Indiana at Ohio State: What you need to know about Saturday’s Big Ten...

Wright State finds form from long range, blows out Princeton at tourney

Ohio State athletic director lays out plans for evolving college sports...

About the Author