The Bevo Francis Award is an American college basketball award given annually since 2016. The award recognizes the top small college basketball player in the United States for a given season. The award is named after the late Bevo Francis, who earned national acclaim and All-American status for Rio Grande College in the 1950s.
| Awarded for | the nation’s top small college basketball player |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | Small College Basketball Foundation |
| History | |
| First award | 2016 |
| Most recent | Elijah Malone, Grace |
| Website | Bevo Francis Award |
Eligible players must come from below NCAA Division I. Players are eligible if they compete in one of the following college basketball divisions: NCAA Divisions II or III; NAIA (and while the NAIA had classifications of Divisions I or II between 2016 and 2020); USCAA Divisions I or II; and NCCAA Divisions I or Division II.
The first winner was Dominez Burnett of Davenport University. Only one school, Northwest Missouri State University, has won the award more than once.
Winners
edit
| Season | Player | School | Class | Division | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | Dominez Burnett | Davenport | Senior | NAIA Division II | [1] | |
| 2016–17 | Justin Pitts | Northwest Missouri State | Junior | NCAA Division II | [1][2] | |
| 2017–18 | Emanuel Terry | Lincoln Memorial | Senior | NCAA Division II | [1][3] | |
| 2018–19 | Aston Francis | Wheaton (IL) | Senior | NCAA Division III | [1][4] | |
| 2019–20 | Kyle Mangas | Indiana Wesleyan | Junior | NAIA Division II | [5] | |
| 2020–21 | Not awarded | |||||
| 2021–22 | Trevor Hudgins | Northwest Missouri State | Senior | NCAA Division II | [6] | |
| 2022–23 | RJ Sunahara | Nova Southeastern | Junior | NCAA Division II | [7] | |
| 2023–24 | Elijah Malone | Grace | Senior | NAIA | [8] | |
Winners by school
edit| School | Winners | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Northwest Missouri State | 2 | 2017, 2022 |
| Davenport | 1 | 2016 |
| Grace | 1 | 2024 |
| Indiana Wesleyan | 1 | 2020 |
| Lincoln Memorial | 1 | 2018 |
| Nova Southeastern | 1 | 2023 |
| Wheaton (IL) | 1 | 2019 |
References
edit- ^ a b c d "West named top player in NCAA DIII". Longview News-Journal. Longview, Texas. March 22, 2020. p. C4. Retrieved March 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
2020 marks the fifth year of the Bevo Francis Award. Past winners include Dominez Burnett of Davenport University in 2016, Justin Pitts of Northwest Missouri State University in 2017, Emanuel Terry of Lincoln Memorial University in 2018, and Aston Francis of Wheaton College in 2019.
- ^ "Pitts named Bevo Francis Award winner". St. Joseph News-Press. St. Joseph, Missouri. April 4, 2017. p. C1. Retrieved March 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Emanuel Terry lauded with 2018 Bevo Francis Award". LMURailsplitters.com. Lincoln Memorial University. April 2, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ Ogden, Brandon (April 13, 2023). "Aston Francis new boys basketball coach at All Saints". Tyler Morning Telegraph. Tyler, Texas. p. B3. Retrieved March 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "No Bevo Francis Award for Argo". Billings Gazette. Billings, Montana. April 7, 2020. p. B1. Retrieved March 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
Kyle Mangas of Indiana Wesleyan has won the Bevo Francis Award over Providence's Zacheus Darko-Kelly and 12 other small-college players, Small College Basketball announced Monday.
- ^ "Hudgins named 2022 Bevo Francis Award winner". BearcatSports.com. Northwest Missouri State University. April 4, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
- ^ Villa, Walter (April 5, 2023). "This and That". Miami Herald. Miami, Florida. p. A22. Retrieved March 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
In addition, NSU forward RJ Sunahara has won the Bevo Francis Award, given to the best player not competing in Division I.
- ^ "Malone honored as 2024 Bevo Francis Award winner". GCLancers.com. Grace College & Seminary. April 8, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.