The second half of the DII men’s basketball season is set to tip off and there have been some players off to red-hot starts. The first Bevo Francis Award watch list is typically released around Jan. 15, and 100 game-changing players hope to see their name appear on the initial list.
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The Clarence “Bevo” Francis Award is not just awarded to the best player in DII men’s basketball, but the best player at all levels of small college basketball. That makes it a bit more impressive when a DII player wins it, which has happened five times in the 10-year history of the award. Presented by Small College Basketball, the committee looks at statistics, but also individual achievements, awards, personal character and team achievements.
Here’s a look at a few of the players that should be on the initial Bevo Francis Top 100 Watch List.
15 DII men’s basketball players who could win the Bevo Francis Award
Benjamin Bill, Daemen. Bill is no stranger to Bevo Francis recognition, making it down to the top 25 cut last year. That said, he is having an even better season this time around. Through 11 games, the big center is averaging career highs in points (17.5) and rebounds (9.3) while recording more than two blocks per game. He already has six double doubles and is a large reason the Wildcats have one loss in the past two seasons. Bill has missed a couple games, but his expected return is imminent.
Jack Browder, Carson-Newman. Browder has been a consistent cog in the Eagles engine for three years. This year, he is averaging a career-high 22.8 points per game, helping the Eagles get out to a 7-3 start. Not only does he lead the SAC in scoring, he also leads the conference in rebounding with 10.0 per game. He finished out 2025 with six-straight games of 22 or more points and already has five double doubles. Browder has been one of the best in DII for a long time running and nothing is slowing him down this year.
Dillon Claussen, Washburn. Claussen’s teammate Jack Bachelor is also likely to see his name on the first Bevo Francis watch list, but Claussen is the choice here. The Ichabods look unbeatable, and it is because they have an incredible balance of talent, with a depth of players contributing nightly. That means that none have the eye-popping stats, but don’t be fooled, Claussen and Bachelor are two of the best DII has to offer. Claussen is averaging 16.6 points per game and is in the top 10 in field goal percentage at 68.1%. He leads the best team in DII with 6.8 rebounds per game and 17 blocks, and is without question one of the most important players in the division.
Carl Cleveland, Young Harris. The Mountain Lions started off 1-3 but have rebounded to go 6-1 over their last seven. Cleveland is leading the way on the heels of a career year. The 6-foot-6 forward is posting nightly averages of 24.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, both of which are career highs. He’s shooting 52.8% from the field so he is reliable from the floor. Young Harris currently sits atop the Southwest Division in Conference Carolinas, and Cleveland will have to continue to bring it if the Mountain Lions want a chance at the tournament.
Boubacar Djigo, Concord (WV). The Mountain Lions closed out the 2025 portion of the schedule with an upset over Fairmont State to improve to 7-3 on the season. Djigo was a big factor, going for 22 points and 11 rebounds, showcasing what he has done all season long. The 6-foot-8 forward leads DII in rebounding with nearly 14 per game, 4.1 of which are off the offensive glass, and is also in the top 20 shooting 62.5% from the floor. Djigo is averaging a solid 15.0 points per game as an all-around force for a team that started 3-6 last season.
Dallas Graziani, Nova Southeastern. Graziani has been one of the most important players in DII men’s basketball for three years running. There will be bigger scorers in Nova Southeastern’s high-paced offense, but Graziani has been the floor general that makes it all go. He is rarely off the court, which is impressive in that full-court attack, and is scoring a career-high 17.8 points per game on a career-best 47.7% shooting. Per usual, he leads the team in assists and is averaging just under 3.0 steals per game. He is a complete player and competitor and the perfect fit for Jim Crutchfield’s high-octane game plan.
Tristan Harcourt, Felician. Felician was 14-12 last year, so the 8-2 start is impressive. His teammate Jeremiah Anderson — 22.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game — may very well find his way to the initial top 100 watch list as well, but Harcourt has been a dominant force off the boards. He’s averaging only 9.7 points per game, but that is all that is asked of him, as he shoots a highly efficient 60.7%. He does his damage on the boards, averaging 11.0 rebounds per game, 4.2 of which are offensive. He also adds 1.9 blocks per game, helping much-improved Felician to keep winning.
Cam Lowe, Black Hills State. The Yellow Jackets continue their climb up the rankings, and Cam Lowe is leading the way. Lowe had a big freshman debut for Black Hills State last year, and he is not experiencing a sophomore slump. Thus far, the 6-foot-6 guard is leading the Yellow Jackets in scoring (17.5 points per game) and rebounds (6.9 per game) and also contributes 2.8 assist per game. The Yellow Jackets have a huge lead on the RMAC through the first two months, but they are entering the heart of conference play. They will need their heart to continue to play big, and you should expect that he will.
Armando Miller Jr., Lubbock Christian. Miller Jr., a 6-foot-7 swingman, has been on fire since opening tip. He’s averaging 22.4 points per game on a very efficient 53.3% shooting from the floor. He’s even more efficient from 3-point land, shooting 44.6% from downtown. Miller Jr. has also recorded five double doubles while averaging 9.1 rebounds per game. The Chaps look like one of the best teams in DII, and Miller Jr. looks like one of the best players on the court every night.
Pace Prosser, Gannon. The Golden Knights score 96.0 points per game, and Prosser is the piece that makes the scoring engine go. He leads Gannon in scoring, dropping 15.7 points per game. He also leads the teams in assists (49), is tied for the lead in steals (25), and contributes 5.5 rebounds per game, the second most on the team. The 6-foot-2 guard doesn't stand out statistically in any one category, but that is because he does everything so well for the Golden Knights.
Antonio Pusateri, Lubbock Christian. Pusateri joins Miller Jr. as one of two teammate combos on the list. Where Miller Jr. is a big-time scorer, Pusateri is one of the best rebounders and defenders in DII right now. He’s at the top of DII in double doubles with eight and is in the top 10 in rebounding with 10.9. He also chips in 15.4 points per game on a highly efficient 55.5% shooting. Pusateri and Miller Jr. are going to help the Chaps go far in a tough LSC.
Marcus Tomashek, Michigan Tech. Awards and accolades have become commonplace to one of DII's best scorers over the past three years. Last year, Tomashek was an All-American, the Midwest Region player of the year, and the GLIAC player of the year. He also made it to the Bevo Francis top 25 watch list. He hit a little cold spell for him, but is back on track, closing out 2025 with games of 22, 22 and 39 to raise his average to 20.1 points per game. While the 6-foot-6 guard isn't a big rebounder, he does have one double double and chips in 4.5 rebounds per game. If Michigan Tech wants to breakthrough and win the Midwest Region, it will be behind Tomashek's scoring prowess.
Jaquay Randolph, Southern Wesleyan. Now remember, the Bevo Francis Award does take into consideration team performance. That said, the Warriors are a mere 1-9, but Randolph has simply been too good to leave off a player-of-the-year watch list. Randolph closed the 2025 portion of the schedule with four-straight double doubles, giving him eight on the year. He’s had four games with more than 15 rebounds, is averaging a 13.2 rebounds per game and is one of the best in DII off the offensive glass with 4.60 per game. The 6-foot-10 forward also adds 17.0 points per game while shooting 52.0% from the floor, making him one of the most dominant big men in the game right now.
Ross Reeves, Nova Southeastern. The Sharks have had two or three players make it far into the player of the year conversation in years prior, and that should continue again this year. Reeves is even better than he was in his 2024-25 Sharks’ debut, scoring 24.6 points per game on 50.1% shooting. He is also in the top 3 in DII in steals with 3.56 per game. With the Sharks averaging more than 100 points per game, Reeves is going to continue to light up the box score.
A.J. White, North Georgia. White is another player that saw his name on the Bevo Francis watch list last season, making the top 100. He has had a highly decorated three years so far, earning accolades like the PBC freshman of the year, multiple All-Conference honors and the PBC All-Tournament team. This year, the Nighthawks 5-foot-10 guard is posting a career-high 20.1 points per game and 3.9 assists and closed the 2025 slate with three-straight 20-point games. He may be heating up right as 2026, and the heart of PBC play, opens.
5 more big scorers to watch for
- Aidan McDowell, Western Colorado
- Cam Edmonds, Georgian Court
- Trey Simmons, Frostburg State
- Jaden Taylor, Missouri Southern
- Ken Walker, Davenport
5 more big boarders to watch for
- Keshawn Evans, Edward Waters
- Iman Kheirati, Christian Brothers
- Jordan Nkoa Abessolo, Kutztown
- Marko Sarenac, Barry
- Christian Thompson, West Alabama
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