Toppin wins again
Dayton’s Obi Toppin claims another major college basketball honor.
Obi Toppin of Dayton won the John R. Wooden Award as the nation’s outstanding college basketball player.
Toppin, along with Saddiq Bey of Villanova, Luka Garza of Iowa, Myles Powell of Seton Hall and Peyton Pritchard of Oregon, won positional awards from the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Toppin is the first player from Dayton to win the Wooden Award and the first Atlantic-10 Conference player to do so since Jameer Nelson of Saint Joseph’s in 2004.
Toppin averaged 20 points, 7.0 rebounds and shot 60% from the field. He led the nation in dunks with a school-record 107 and his 190 career slams are also a school mark.
Wooden Award voting took place March 16-23.
Toppin also received the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award.
More college basketball
Cassius Stanley is taking his high-flying game to the NBA after one season at Duke. The 6-foot-6 forward who averaged 12.6 points per game announced he’s entering his name in the NBA draft. Maryland junior forward Jalen Smith, Arizona freshman point guard Nico Mannion and UCLA’s leading scorer junior Chris Smith, the Pac-12’s most improved player, also declared for the NBA.
Auto racing
NASCAR announced the 15 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021, which includes names such as Dale
Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton and Carl Edwards. All three former Cup Series drivers are first-time nominees. In February, NASCAR announced the Hall of Fame ballot structure and number of inductees would change beginning with the 2021 class. The number of inductees will now only include three individuals (previously five) and will be split into two categories — one for contemporary stars (“Modern” ballot) and one for the NASCAR pioneers (“Pioneer” ballot). Former drivers Neil Bonnett, Harry Gant, Larry Phillips, Ricky Rudd and Mike Stefanik are listed on the Modern Era Ballot. Former championship crew chiefs Harry Hyde and Kirk Shelmerdine also are on that list.
Soccer
Riverhounds SC (0-2) lost its group play match against San Antonio FC (20) in the USL eCup: Rocket League Edition esports tournament. San Antonio FC defeated the Hounds, winning two games (2-0) of the three-game series. The Hounds have one game remaining in group play, coming against El Paso Locomotive FC at 6 p.m. Friday. The match can be streamed live on ESPN3.
Football
The Las Vegas Raiders signed defensive back Damarious Randall to a one-year deal in a move to upgrade a porous defense. The Raiders signed Randall to a $3.25 million contract after a deal with cornerback Eli Apple fell through.