Men's Basketball | February 19, 2025

AIKEN, S.C. – USCA men's basketball standout Jalen McCoy has been named to the Bevo Francis Top 50 Watch List for the 2024-25 season.

McCoy, a native of Raleigh, N.C., averages 19.9 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. He's connecting on 53.5 percent of his shots from the floor. McCoy is second on the team with 17 blocks.

A two-time PBC Player of the Week selection, McCoy has scored at least 30 points five times. He opened the season with a 34-point performance in the win over UNC Pembroke. McCoy has also notched at least 30 points against Livingstone, Columbia International, Augusta and USC Beaufort. 

The program's Division II career leader for points scored (1,620), McCoy also ranks in the top 10 in USCA's Division II history for field goals made (first – 673), games played (third – 121), offensive rebounds (fifth – 199), total rebounds (eighth – 509), defensive rebounds (ninth – 310), free throws made (ninth – 248) and games started (10^th – 73).

This year's list showcases some of the top talent from NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, USCAA, and NCCAA. John McCarthy shared his thoughts on the impressive group of players making the cut this year:

"Congratulations to the 50 players on this prestigious Bevo Francis Award Watch List," stated McCarthy. "This is an elite list of players that are in the midst of fantastic seasons, on teams that are having great success. Our committee has provided tremendous insight, and I am so grateful to them. It's such an incredibly challenging process to select 50 players from roughly 16,000-18,000 players that compete at the various small college levels, yet this is what makes this such an elite group of players. Again, congratulations to each and every player on this list. It was earned."
 
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.
 
On March 15^th, the list will be reduced to the Top 25 players. Then on April 5^th, the finalists of this year's award will be announced, followed by the Bevo Francis Award winner being crowned on April 7^th.  
 
The Bevo Francis Awards Committee consists of the following coaches: Gary Stewart - Stevenson (Md.), Chris Briggs - Georgetown (Ky.), Bill Dreikosen - Rocky Mountain (Mont.), Mark Berokoff – Oklahoma City, Mike Donnelly – Florida Southern, Sam Hargraves – Olivet (Mich.), Richard Westerlund – Great Lakes Christian, Chase Tiechmann – Florida College, Aaron Siebenthall – Ottawa (Kan.), Mark Vanderslice – USC Aiken, Matt O'Brien – Southwestern (KS), Chris Wright – Langston (OK), Ben Thompson – Emory & Henry, Justin Leslie – Midwestern State, Raul Placeres – Maryville College (TN), Chris Martin – Loras (IA), John Lamanna – Whitman (WA), Brian Miller – MSOE, Justin Downer – Point Loma Nazarene.