Featured Player: Obi Toppin, PF Dayton
I hadn’t seen a lot of Obi Toppin prior to this season, but after seeing him this year he immediately put himself in the conversation for the #1 pick. James Wiseman’s size will likely keep him in that 1st spot, but if Wiseman is off the board when it’s the Hornets turn to pick I’d strongly consider drafting Obi Toppin.
At 6’9” 220, Toppin is big and extremely athletic. He plays with tremendous intensity and tenacity and stays on the attack on both ends of the floor. He moves extremely well for a man his size, and he runs the court as well as anyone.
Toppin has every skill offensively. He has a solid handle, allowing him to take the ball the length of the court after grabbing a rebound. He attacks the rim with ferocity and aggression, never missing an opportunity to throw down a monster jam.
He’s a good shooter with three-point range, and he’s very good in the post. He reads the defense extremely well and makes perfectly-timed pinpoint passes when the opponent collapses on him. He sets great screens and cuts hard off of them, and he instinctively understands the right time to dive to the rim to create the most separation.
Toppin’s length, athleticism, aggression and instincts make him a great defender as well. He moves his feet to stay in front of most any opponent, and he challenges shots both at the rim and on the perimeter. He plays with tremendous effort and fights extremely hard for position. He boxes out early, making it much easier for him to dominate the glass.
Obi Toppin is probably the most well-rounded NBA-ready player I’ve seen so far, and I’m excited to see him against higher-level competition this week. His Dayton Flyers play the first game of the Maui Jim Invitational today against Georgia, and while everyone is expecting a heavyweight matchup between Michigan State and Kansas for the championship in this tournament, I think both Dayton and Virginia Tech have a legitimate chance to mess that up.
| 2019-2020 NBA Draft Rankings |
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| Rank | Player | Position | Team | Height | Weight | Year |
| 1 | James Wiseman | PF/C | Memphis | 7'1" | 240 | Freshman |
| 2 | Obi Toppin | PF | Dayton | 6'9" | 220 | Sophomore |
| 3 | Jaden McDaniels | SG/SF | Washington | 6'9" | 200 | Freshman |
| 4 | Harlond Beverly | PG | Miami | 6'4" | 185 | Freshman |
| 5 | Zeke Nnaji | PF | Arizona | 6'11" | 240 | Freshman |
| 6 | Isaiah Stewart | PF | Washington | 6'9" | 250 | Freshman |
| 7 | Vernon Carey Jr. | PF/C | Duke | 6'11" | 260 | Freshman |
| 8 | Filip Petrusev | SF/PF/C | Gonzaga | 6'11" | 235 | Sophomore |
| 9 | Anthony Edwards | SG | Georgia | 6'5" | 225 | Freshman |
| 10 | Wendell Moore Jr. | SG/SF | Duke | 6'6" | 210 | Freshman |
| 11 | Cole Anthony | PG | UNC | 6'3" | 190 | Freshman |
| 12 | Tyrese Maxey | SG/PG | Kentucky | 6'3" | 198 | Freshman |
| 13 | Jordan Nwora | SF | Louisville | 6'7" | 225 | Junior |
| 14 | Isaiah Livers | PF/SF | Michigan | 6'7" | 230 | Junior |
| 15 | Brandon Rachal | SG/SF | Tulsa | 6'6" | 220 | Junior |
| 16 | Yves Pons | SF | Tennessee | 6'6" | 215 | Junior |
| 17 | Samuell Williamson | SG | Louisville | 6'7" | 200 | Freshman |
| 18 | Jahmi'us Ramsey | SG | Texas Tech | 6'4" | 195 | Freshman |
| 19 | Precious Achiuwa | SF | Memphis | 6'9" | 215 | Freshman |
| 20 | Nico Mannion | PG | Arizona | 6'3" | 190 | Freshman |
| 21 | Steven Enoch | PF/C | Louisville | 6'10" | 255 | Senior |
| 22 | Kira Lewis Jr. | PG | Alabama | 6'3" | 165 | Sophomore |
| 23 | Trayce Jackson-Davis | PF/C | Indiana | 6'10" | 235 | Freshman |
| 24 | Justin Smith | SF | Indiana | 6'7" | 230 | Junior |
| 25 | Landers Nolly II | SG | Virginia Tech | 6'7" | 230 | Freshman |
| 26 | Trendon Watford | SF/PF | LSU | 6'9" | 236 | Freshman |
| 27 | Nahziah Carter | SG/SF | Washington | 6'6" | 205 | Junior |
| 28 | LJ Figueroa | SF/SG | St. John's | 6'6" | 195 | Junior |
| 29 | Ochai Agbaji | SF | Kansas | 6'5" | 210 | Sophomore |
| 30 | Jalen Smith | PF/C | Maryland | 6'10" | 225 | Sophomore |
Featured Team: Duke Blue Devils
I was really hoping Duke would take a big step back this season after the departures of Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett, and Cam Reddish, but unfortunately the new freshman are picking up right where they left off.
Vernon Carey is a beast down low. He’s sure-handed and goes up extremely strong, finishing almost everything around the rim. He’s a great rebounder who reads the ball extremely well out of the air and has great awareness around the basket, and he uses his huge frame to carve out position and grab most any rebound that comes anywhere close to him.
Carey handles the ball pretty well, and he’s got an incredible spin move that’s nearly impossible to defend. He’s got a great touch around the basket, but he’ll try to dunk every chance he gets.
Carey plays extremely hard and can bring great intensity and competitiveness, but if there’s one complaint I have it’s that he is a little slow and not physical enough defensively. He often gives his man a great angle to the basket, and he doesn’t use his size and strength as well as he should. Despite this shortcoming, I fully expect him to continue improving and become a better defender down the road.
Wendell Moore is another freshman who’s really starting to take his game to another level. He came off the bench and didn’t play a whole lot in their first game against Kansas, but he’s started the last two games and is now looking like a potential lottery pick.
Moore has great size and strength, and he’s also got a great handle that allows him to get wherever he wants to go. He easily gets by his man and is a phenomenal finisher around the basket, but he’s also a great passer who can find the open man when the defense overhelps on him. He’s a good shooter with three-point range, and there’s really nothing he can’t do offensively.
Moore’s size, strength, length, and competitiveness make him a very good defender as well. He’s explosive off the floor, and he uses that leaping ability to block shots and grab rebounds. Wendell Moore has a well-rounded game with no real holes already, and it’s scary to think how much better he can get.
Fellow freshman Cassius Stanley is an elite athlete who has shown flashes of brilliance as well. He explodes off the floor for highlight-reel dunks, but he’s also shown the ability to knock down the three. He’s borderline out of control emotionally, but I like his fire, intensity, and effort and it leads to him coming up with many rebounds and loose balls.
With Tre Jones leading the team as the “veteran” sophomore point guard, Duke is in position to make a run at a national championship this season. While I do think this team has a few holes and will ultimately fall short of both the ACC and NCAA championship, it wouldn’t shock me to see them find a way to get it done.
| 2020 Team Rankings | Games Seen | Last | |
| 1 | Louisville | 1 | 11/5/2019 |
| 2 | Arizona | ||
| 3 | Duke | 3 | 11/22/2019 |
| 4 | Tennessee | 2 | 11/16/2019 |
| 5 | Ohio St. | 2 | 11/13/2019 |
| 6 | Gonzaga | 1 | 11/15/2019 |
| 7 | Kansas | 2 | 11/8/2019 |
| 8 | Texas Tech | 1.5 | 11/21/2019 |
| 9 | Michigan | 1 | 11/12/2019 |
| 10 | Oregon | 1 | 11/12/2019 |
| 11 | Washington | 2 | 11/16/2019 |
| 12 | Baylor | 1 | 11/8/2019 |
| 13 | Maryland | ||
| 14 | VCU | 1.5 | 11/13/2019 |
| 15 | LSU | 1 | 11/13/2019 |
| 16 | Kansas St. | 2 | 11/9/2019 |
| 17 | Arkansas | 0.5 | |
| 18 | Georgetown | 2 | 11/21/2019 |
| 19 | Penn St. | 1 | 11/14/2019 |
| 20 | TCU | 2 | 11/24/2019 |
| 21 | Butler | 1 | 11/12/2019 |
| 22 | Utah St. | ||
| 23 | Cincinnati | 1 | 11/6/2019 |
| 24 | Auburn | 2 | 11/8/2019 |
| 25 | Virginia | 1 | 11/6/2019 |
| 26 | Virginia Tech | 1 | 11/5/2019 |
| 27 | Villanova | 1.5 | 11/13/2019 |
| 28 | Dayton | 1 | 11/16/2019 |
| 29 | Indiana | 0.5 | |
| 30 | Memphis | 2 | 11/12/2019 |
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