Max Jones Named to Bevo Francis Top 100 Watchlist
TAMPA, Fla. - Small College Basketball and the National Awards Committee released its first watchlist for the Bevo Francis Award for the 2021-22 season, listing University of Tampa freshman Max Jones among the student-athletes. The first list features 100 players from DII, DIII, NAIA, USCAA, and NCCAA men's college basketball.
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 averaging 50.1 points per game, highlighted by a 116-point performance against Ashland College in Kentucky.
Jones is one of just two freshman on the watchlist, as the Clearwater, Fla., native leads the 10-3 Spartans in scoring this season. In 13 games this year, Jones averages 21.3 points per game. He is shooting 44.8 percent from the floor, including a 34.2 percent clip from 3-point range.
He has registered double figures in 12 of 13 games this season, including 11 straight. He has scored 30 points on three occasions, with nine games totaling 20-plus points. Jones is also third on the team with 4.9 rebounds per contest, as he is also second in assists (40) and steals (18).
HISTORY: Francis highlights the best single-seasons in DII lore
Aston Francis of DIII men's basketball Wheaton was the winner in 2019. Lincoln Memorial's Emanuel Terry was the last winner from DII men's basketball to bring home the award, winning in 2018, averaging a double-double (16.9 points, 10.3 rebounds per game) for the school that finished atop the DII men's basketball regular-season rankings that season. The most recent winner — Kyle Mangas — was from the NAIA and Small College Basketball decided not to name a winner in the abbreviated 2021 season.
REMEMBERING FRANCIS: A look back at his career
The list will be cut three more times before the winner is announced on April 4. Here are the important dates:
- February 15, 2022: Top 50
- March 15, 2022: Top 25
- April 2, 2022: Finalists
- April 4, 2022: The 2022 Bevo Francis Award winner announced