Indiana Wesleyan’s Kyle Mangas is among 14 finalists up for the Bevo Francis Award. (Photo provided)

MARION – Small College Basketball (SCB) released its 14 finalists for the Bevo Francis Award for the 2020 season Saturday, with Indiana Wesleyan men’s basketball junior Kyle Mangas inking a spot on the list.

The 2020 NAIA DII Player of the Year becomes the second Wildcat in program history to make the finalists list, with Jonny Marlin earning the respect in 2016. SCB will release the winner Monday, April 6. The award honors student-athletes from Division II, Division III, NAIA, USCAA, and NCCAA men’s basketball programs.

A complete list of the 14 finalists for this year’s Bevo Francis Award reads as follows:

• • Chris Coffey, Georgetown
  • ​Zaccheus Darko-Kelly, Providence (MT)
  • Jhonathan Dunn, Southern Nazarene
  • Brett Hanson, Florida Southern
  • Ryan Hawkins, NW MO State
  • Trevor Hudgins. NW MO State
  • Kyle Mangas, Indiana Wesleyan
  • Cam Martin, MO Southern
  • Mark Matthews, Nova Southeastern
  • Selom Mawugbe, Azusa Pacific
  • Nic Reed, Olivet Nazarene
  • Jake Ross. Springfield (MA)
  • Andrew Sischo, Daemen
  • Nate West, LeTourneau

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.

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.

WILDCATS ON THE LIST

• 2015-16 – Top 100 – Jonny Marlin – SR.
• 2015-16 – Top 50 – Jonny Marlin – SR.
• 2015-16 – Top 25 – Jonny Marlin – SR.
• 2015-16 – Finalists– Jonny Marlin – SR.
• 2016-17 – Top 100 – Lane Mahurin – SR.
• 2017-18 – Top 100 – Kyle Mangas– FR.
• 2018-19 – Top 100 – Kyle Mangas– SO.
• 2018-19 – Top 50 – Kyle Mangas– SO.
• 2018-19 – Top 25 – Kyle Mangas– SO.
• 2019-2020 – Top 100 – Kyle Mangas– JR.
• 2019-2020 – Top 50 – Kyle Mangas– JR.
• 2019-2020 – Top 25 – Kyle Mangas– JR.
• 2019-2020 – Finalist – Kyle Mangas– JR.