Toppin Ruled Ineligible for 2017-18 Season
By: Steve Miller – Sports Editor
The University of Dayton announced on Tuesday that men’s basketball freshman forward Obadiah Toppin will sit out the 2017-18 season after being ruled academically ineligible by the NCAA.
Toppin, who is 6 foot 8 inches tall, will retain his four years of eligibility while participating on the practice squad this season.
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“We knew this was a possible scenario for Obi early on in the recruiting process,” said head coach Anthony Grant in a press release. “And if it came to pass, we saw this as a chance for him to utilize this year [to] acclimate as a student and enhance his strength and skill as an academic redshirt. This is a great opportunity for Obi to develop as a player and student over the next 12 months, and prepare himself for a very successful college career.”
According to a Dayton Daily News article on this situation, the administered ruling on Toppin is the same ruling that sidelined center Steve McElvene in his freshman year, the 2014-15 season.
Toppin is yet another of UD’s taller players to be off the court this year. Ryan Mikesell, a 6-foot-7 forward, will be out after undergoing two hip surgeries in the offseason. And 6-foot-9 forward Sam Miller was dismissed from the team after being arrested on several charges at a Beavercreek bar this summer.
More updates on the men’s basketball team will follow this week when they open a practice to the media on Thursday.
Photo Courtesy of Christian Cubacub