Small College Basketball Bevo Francis Award Website
SEWARD, Neb. – While continuing to attract national attention for their play on the court, Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Basketball stars Noah Schutte and Tristan Smith were honored on Wednesday (Jan. 15) with inclusion on the 2025 Bevo Francis Award Watch List. The initial list produced by “Small College Basketball” features 100 of the top college men’s basketball players nationally from the NAIA, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III levels.
According to Small College Basketball, “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.” The organization will condense its watch list to 50 players on Feb. 15, to 25 players on March 15 and to finalists on April 5. The 2025 Bevo Francis Award winner will be announced on April 7.
A graduate student from Laurel, Neb., Schutte recently became the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Concordia Men’s Basketball program. This 2024-25 season, Schutte is averaging 17.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 57.5 percent from the floor and 74.7 percent from the foul line. In 132 career games, Schutte has totaled 2,118 points, 854 rebounds, 241 assists and 90 steals. He was honored as an NAIA Third Team All-American for 2023-24 and is a two-time First Team All-GPAC selection.
In his senior season, Smith has raised his game to another level. The 2023-24 First Team All-GPAC honoree is averaging 20.4 points per game and has been tabbed GPAC Offensive Player of the Week three times this season. Among GPAC players, Smith ranks first in field goal percentage (.691), second in blocks per game (1.3), sixth in scoring average (20.4), sixth in rebounding (7.4), sixth in assists (3.9) and sixth in steals (1.9). Smith has totaled 1,246 points and 597 rebounds in 96 career games as a Bulldog.
Other GPAC players on the initial Bevo Francis Award Watch List include Northwestern’s Alex Van Kalsbeek and Jesse Van Kalsbeek, Dordt’s Lucas Lorenzen and Morningside’s Joey Skoff.