KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Black Hills State men's basketball junior Joel Scott has been named to the Top 25 watch list for the 2022 Bevo Francis Award.

The 2022 Bevo Francis Top 25 Watch List consists of some of the top players from NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, USCAA and NCCAA.

Scott has also been named RMAC Player of the Year, First Team All-RMAC, D2CCA First Team All-Region, RMAC Tournament MVP, RMAC All-Tournament First Team, and was named Player of the Week in the conference seven times during the year.

Scott was the biggest threat in the RMAC this season, currently averaging 23.4 points per game as the team heads into the NCAA Tournament, having scored 678 total points, both best in the league.

While being the top offensive player in the RMAC, Scott also finished the regular season leading the nation in defensive rebounding, averaging 8.79 per game, and ranks top-10 in seven statistical categories.

1st - Defensive Rebounds Per Game (8.79)
4th - Points Per Game (23.4)
4th - Field Goals Made (250)
4th - Double-Doubles (18)
5th - Total Points (678)
8th - Total Rebounds (305)
9th - Free Throw Attempts (195)

Additionally, Scott led the RMAC in seven different statistical categories and is top-3 in 13 categories.

Currently, his 723 points this season has him 11 points away from breaking BHSU's all-time record for points in a season - currently held by Kim Templeton, who scored 733 points in the 1975-76 season.

Templeton's 1975-76 season is currently the only other time that a Yellow Jacket has surpassed 700 points in a single season.

Scott is also on track with his 23.3 points per game, to finish the season with the best scoring average in a season for BHSU, which would best his current record of 20.7 which he set last year.

The Clarence "Bevo" Francis Award is presented annually to the player who has had the finest overall season within Small College Basketball. Considerations will be season statistics and individual achievements, awards, personal character and team achievements.

This is an incredibly prestigious award, as this award will only be given to one player within Small College Basketball per season.

2022 marks the sixth year of the Bevo Francis Award, after the award was not presented in 2021. The previous winner was Kyle Mangas of Indiana Wesleyan University in 2020.

On April 2, the finalists of this year's award will be announced, followed by the Bevo Francis Award winner being crowned on April 4.

2021-22 Bevo Francis Award Top 25 Watch List
Philip Alston - California (PA)
Buzz Anthony - Randolph-Macon
Marcus Azor - UMass Dartmouth
Kevion Blaylock - William Penn
Myles Burns - Loyola (LA)
Patrick Cartier - Hillsdale
Tyshaun Crawford - Augusta
Romeo Crouch - Embry-Riddle
Jack Davidson - Wabash
Alex Gross - Olivet Nazarene
Parker Hicks - Lubbock Christian
Trevor Hudgins - NW Missouri State
Josiah Johnson - Mary Hardin Baylor
Matthew Leritz - Illinois Wesleyan
Jaizec Lottie - Flagler
Matthew Schner - Emory
Jaylon Scott - Bethel (KS)
Joel Scott - Black Hills State
Andrew Sischo - Daemen
Jovan Sljivancanin - Carroll (MT)
RJ Sunahara - Nova Southeastern
Sekou Sylla - Nova Southeastern
Ryan Turell - Yeshiva
Mason Walters - Jamestown
Zach Wrightsil - Loyola (LA)