SCHMIDT MAKES THE FIRST CUT; NAMED TO BEVO FRANCIS TOP 50 WATCH LIST

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Olivet Nazarene University men's basketball guard Tyler Schmidt made the first cut on the Bevo Francis Award Watch List, landing on the Top 50 Watch List as announced by the organization Wedenesday afternoon.

Schmidt becomes the third Tiger all-time to make the first cut on the watch list, joining Nic Reed who earned the honor in 2020 and Alex Gross in 2022. Both Reed and Gross were named finalists in their respective seasons.

After three players from the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) made the Top 100 Watch List in January, Schmidt remains as the lone representative from the conference on the Bevo Francis Top 50 Watch List.

Schmidt has cemented himself as one of the NAIA's top players throughout his stellar junior season. The Valparaiso, Ind. native is averaging 23.2 points per contest which is the top mark in the CCAC and the fifth-best scoring average in the nation. Schmidt has collected a league-best six CCAC Player of the Week awards, with his most recent recognition coming on Feb. 14 when he averaged 30.0 points per game on 58-percent shooting in a pair of ONU wins.

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.

The list will be narrowed down to the top 25 on Wednesday, March 15, while the finalists will be determined on Saturday, April 1 and the winner will be announced on Monday, April 3. 

Click here to learn more about the award and to find the full list.

--ONU—

*Contact: Evan Wild, Sports Information Director, ewwild@olivet.edu