Northwest Missouri State University senior guard Diego Bernard has been named to the Bevo Francis Top-50 Watch List as announced today by Small College Basketball and the National Awards Committee.
 
The 2023 Bevo Francis Top 50 Watch List consists of some of the top players from NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, USCAA and NCCAA.

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.

This marks the seventh year for the Bevo Francis Award, after the award was not presented in 2021. 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, Aston Francis of Wheaton College in 2019, Kyle Mangas of Indiana Wesleyan University in 2020 and Trevor Hudgins of Northwest Missouri State in 2022.

Bernard and Central Oklahoma's Jaden Wells are the only representatives from the MIAA on the list of 50 players.
 
Bernard is tops on the team in scoring (16.8 ppg), rebounding (5.0), steals (54), field goals made (153) and free throws made (100). In MIAA games only, Bernard ranks No. 2 in the league in scoring at 18.1 points per game. In all games, Bernard ranks No. 5 in the MIAA in scoring per game at 16.8 ppg. Bernard is tied for No. 10 in the nation in total steals (54).
 
The St. Joseph, Mo., native has registered a team-best 117 career double-figure scoring games. Bernard has scored in double figures in 18 straight games - the longest stretch of his career.
 
Bernard is the second player in MIAA history to score 2,000 points and secure 900 rebounds, following Ryan Hawkins, who tallied 2,098 points and grabbed 948 rebounds. Bernard has tallied 2,088 points, 923 rebounds, 487 assists and 147 made three-pointers.
 
Since the turn of the century, senior Diego Bernard is one of three players in NCAA Div. I/II men's basketball to score 2,000 points, grab 900 rebounds, hand out 400 assists and tally 200 steals. He is joined by Wisconsin's Ethan Happ and Purdue-Fort Wayne's John Konchar.
 
Bernard has accumulated the most career steals among NCAA Div. II active players with 258. Valdosta State's Cam Hamilton ranks No. 2 with 242 career thefts.
 
He ranks T-No. 3 among NCAA Div. II players in scoring with Wayne State's Jordan Janssen with 2,088 points. Only Fairmont State's Isaiah Sanders (2,321 points) and Black Hills State's Joel Scott (2,191 points) have tallied more career points.
        
Bernard ranks tied for No. 4 among NCAA Div. II players in rebounding with 923 career boards. Wayne State's Jordan Janssen has tallied 1,142 career rebounds, Shippenburg's Dom Sleva has 942 and Augusta's Tyshaun Crawford has 934.
        
Bernard has tallied 487 career assists to rank No. 3 behind Augusta's Tyree Myers (616) and Mount Olive's Michael Brown (575).
Bernard is one of seven active NCAA men's basketball players and one of only two Div. II players with at least 2,000 points and 900 rebounds.
 
2,000 Points & 900 Rebounds (Active NCAA MBB)
Dalton Bolon (Coll. of Charleston) - 2,634 pts/954 rbs
Jayden Gardner (Virginia) - 2,259 pts/1,042 rbs
Jordan Janssen (Wayne St.) - 2,088 pts, 1,142 rbs
Diego Bernard (Northwest Mo. St.) - 2,088 pts/923 rbs
KJ Williams (LSU) - 2,085 pts/1,079 rbs
Kevin Obanor (Texas Tech) - 2,072 pts/1,054 rbs
Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana) - 2,032 pts/1,046 rbs
 
Bernard is one of 16 active NCAA men's basketball players (and the only Div. II player) with at least 2,000 points and 400 assists.
 
2,000 Points & 400 Assists (Active NCAA MBB)
Antoine Davis (Detroit Mercy) - 3,482 pts/568 ast
Taevion Kinsey (Marshall) - 2,523 pts/525 ast
Joel Murray (Long Beach St.) - 2,418 pts/533 ast
Sam Sessoms (Coppin St.) - 2,267 pts/512 ast
Qua Grant (Sam Houston St.) - 2,195 pts/400 ast
Marcus Carr (Texas) - 2,193 pts/699 ast
JR Clay (Tennessee St.) - 2,129 pts/582 ast
Kendric Davis (Memphis) - 2,092 pts/670 ast
Diego Bernard (Northwest Mo. St.) - 2,088 pts/487 ast
Jarred Godfrey (Purdue Fort Wayne) - 2,068 pts/463 ast
Darius Quisenberry (Fordham) - 2,043 pts/432 ast
Demetre Roberts (Farleigh Dickinson) - 2,042 pts/527 ast
Hunter Maldonado (Wyoming) - 2,038 pts/597 ast
Tyree Appleby (Wake Forest) - 2,036 pts/666 ast
Jalen Pickett (Penn St.) - 2,022 pts/779 ast
Timmy Allen (Texas) - 2,015 pts/421 ast

On March 15, the Top 25 players will be announced. On April 1, the finalists of this year's award will be announced, followed by the Bevo Francis Award winner being crowned April 3.

The Bevo Francis Awards Committee consists of the following coaches: Gary Stewart – Stevenson (MD), Chris Briggs – Georgetown College (KY), Bill Dreikosen – Rocky Mountain (MT), Mark Berokoff – Oklahoma City, Mike Donnelly – Florida Southern, Sam Hargraves – Olivet, Stephen Brennan – Babson, Richard Westerlund – Great Lakes Christian, Chase Tiechmann – Florida College, Aaron Siebenthall – Ottawa (KS), Tae Norwood – Humboldt State, Mark Vanderslice – USC-Aiken, Grant Leep, Seattle Pacific, Matt O'Brien – Southwestern (KS), Chris Wright – Langston (OK), Nathan Champion – LeMoyne.

To stay up to date on all things Small College Basketball, please head to smallcollegebasketball.com.