AMHERST, Mass. – Dayton is racing toward a historic season, redefining generational standards for its own storied program and conjuring memories of some of the greatest teams in Atlantic 10 history.
Dayton star Obi Toppin has emerged as college basketball’s viral sensation – think Zion lite – in soaring from virtual obscurity to a lottery pick amid an endless hailstorm of dunks. His roommate, Jalen Crutcher, has surged from an overlooked recruit in his hometown of Memphis to a legitimate NBA prospect.
They’ve combined to put No. 5 Dayton on target for the highest NCAA tournament seed in school history and the Atlantic 10’s highest-seeded team since the Jameer Nelson-led Saint Joseph’s squad of 2004.