Obi Toppin, Anthony Grant win CBS Sports national awards

Dayton’s Anthony Grant hugs Obi Toppin after a victory against Saint Joseph’s on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020, at Hagan Arena in Philadelphia. David Jablonski/Staff

Dayton’s Anthony Grant hugs Obi Toppin after a victory against Saint Joseph’s on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020, at Hagan Arena in Philadelphia. David Jablonski/Staff

The Dayton Flyers won a pair of national awards on Monday.

CBS Sports named Obi Toppin its national player of the year, while picking Anthony Grant as coach of the year.

Of the redshirt sophomore forward Toppin, Matt Norlander wrote, “Toppin became a star, and it speaks to his effectiveness, efficiency and watchability that in the closing couple of weeks of the season he found a little separation in what was one of the most wide open player of the year races in modern college hoops history.”

Grant led Dayton to a 29-2 record and the Atlantic 10 Conference regular season champion.

» FOR DAYTON: Dan Patrick narrates video salute to the Flyers

Of the third-year coach Grant, David Cobb wrote, “Dayton won a school-record 29 games under Grant's leadership, going 18-0 in Atlantic 10 play while positioning itself for a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Flyers reached their highest ranking in the AP Top 25 since 1956, which was a decade before Grant was born. Yes, the Dayton program was successful before Grant arrived. But he took it to another level this season.”

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