Last month, Small College Basketball released the initial Bevo Francis Award watchlist, consisting of the Top 100 student-athletes from Division II, Division III, the NAIA, USCAA and NCCAA. The list has now been cut to 50.

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The award was created in 2015 and is named after Clarence "Bevo" Francis. Francis played two seasons at what is now the University of Rio Grande. In his first season, he led the team to a 39-0 record avergaing 50.1 points per game, highlighted by a 116-point performance against Ashland College in Kentucky.

DII basketball continues to dominate the watchlist. After sending 47 to the initial Top 100, DII basketball sends 31 to the Top 50. Lincoln Memorial had three players named (Dorian Pinson, Trevon Shaw, and Emanuel Terry), the most of any DII school. 

The committee will continue to cut down the watchlist as the season progresses. The release dates for 2018 are:

March 15 -- Top 25
March 31 -- Finalists
April 2 -- Award winner announced

The Bevo Francis Award Watchlist (Top 50)

Name Class School
Ethan Alvano Senior Cal State San Marcos
Nate Axelrod Senior Ohio Wesleyan
Tommy Bolte  Junior Concord (WV)
David Chavlovich Senior West Texas A&M
Charles Clark Senior Carson-Newman
Stevie Clark Senior LSU-Shreveport
Drew Cushingberry Senior Ferris State
Jack Daly Senior  Middlebury
Wendell Davis Senior Ashland
David Dennis Junior Nova Southeastern
Kalidou Diouf Senior California Baptist
Charles Eaton Senior West Alabama
Adam Eberhard Junior  Bellarmine
Brandon Federici Senior Franklin & Marshall
Aston Francis Junior Wheaton
Daeshon Francis Senior Texas-Permian Basin
Elvar Fridriksson Senior Barry
Zach Hankins Junior  Ferris State
Juvaris Hayes Sophomore Merrimack
Joey Hewitt Junior Whitman
Haywood Highsmith Senior Wheeling Jesuit
Tim Howell Senior Whitman
Ryan Imhoff Senior Carroll
Branden Jenkins Senior Texas Wesleyan
Beau Justice Junior Valdosta State
Tyrell Long Senior West Chester
Deion McClenton Senior  Keiser
Shadell Millinghaus Senior Georgetown College
Kyle Monroe Junior Michigan Tech
Tyheim Monroe Senior Cabrini
Dan Monteroso Senior West Liberty
Jordan Murdock Junior Friends
Tanner Omlid Senior Western Oregon
Dorian Pinson Senior Lincoln Memorial
Justin Pitts Senior Northwest Missouri State
Justin Reyes Senior St. Thomas Aquinas
Jake Ross Sophomore Springfield
Lawrence Russell Senior The Master's
Dominque Shaw Senior William Penn (IA)
Trevon Shaw Senior Lincoln Memorial
Dustin Sleva Senior Shippensburg
Kyle Steigenge Senior Cornerstone
Taren Sullivan Senior Findlay
Emanuel Terry Senior Lincoln Memorial
Sam Toney Sophomore New Jersey City
Chandler Vaudrin Sophomore Walsh
Tyrius Walker Senior Morehouse
Jaqhawn Walters Senior  Albertus Magnus
Akaemji Williams Senior Lake Superior State
Todd Withers Senior Queens (NC)

Wayne Cavadi is in his third year covering all things Division II sports for NCAA.com. In the “offseason”, he covers the Atlanta Braves minor league system for FanRag Sports and SB Nation’s Minor League Ball. His work has appeared on Bleacher Report, MLB.com, AJC.com and FoxSports.com.