KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A major part of Lincoln Memorial University men's basketball's nation-leading 15-game win streak and No. 3 national ranking, sophomore guard Courvoisier McCauley and senior point guard Anthony Brown have been named to the 2020 Bevo Francis Award Top 100 watch list. Announced Wednesday by Small College Basketball and the National Awards Committee, the list is comprised of some of the top players from NCAA Division II and Division III men's basketball, the NAIA, United State Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) and National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA).
 
The two guards join an illustrious list of former Railsplitters who have been named to the Bevo Francis Award watch list in recent years, including Jalen Steele (2016), Luquon Choice (2016 and 2017), Dorian Pinson (2017 and 2018), Trevon Shaw (2018), Emanuel Terry (2018) and Cornelius Taylor (2019). All-American Terry won the national player of the year award in 2018 after compiling a remarkable 126-14 career record donning the Blue and Gray.
 
It marks the fifth-straight year LMU has had at least one player named to the Bevo Francis Award Top 100 watch list.
 
McCauley, who landed a spot on last year's South Atlantic Conference All-Freshman Team, has been nothing short of sensational in his sophomore campaign. The 6-foot-5 swingman has already twice been named SAC AstroTurf Player of the Week (Dec. 23 and Jan. 13) and scored a career-high 44 points in the Railsplitters' 97-77 home win over Lenoir-Rhyne (Dec. 18). McCauley's 44 points were the most scored by an LMU player in a single game in the program's NCAA era and the most since Nick Sanford also scored 44 against Saint Michael's in 1987. Furthermore, his 44 points tied for the seventh-most in a single game in Railsplitter history. 
 
Owning a pair of double-doubles, McCauley has reached double figures in all 16 of LMU's games this season and has had nine 20-point outings and two 30-point performances. The Indianapolis (Manuel HS), native racked up 36 points on Nov. 9 during the Railsplitters' 83-72 non-conference home victory over USC Aiken and ranks among the top players in the nation in several statistical categories.
 
McCauley is seventh nationally in made three pointers (57) while ranking 17th in the country in three pointers made per game (3.6), 19th in both points scored (343) and made field goals (120), 21st in three-point shooting (46%), 28th in three pointers attempted (124), 31st in field goal attempts (240) and 33rd in scoring (21.4 PPG). He is shooting 50 percent from the field overall and 78 percent at the free-throw line, not to mention averaging 5.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.4 steals per contest.
 
Brown, a 2019 All-SAC honorable mention performer and preseason All-SAC First Team pick, has been outstanding as LMU's starting floor general. Propelled recently by a pair of high-flying highlight-reel dunks, Brown has claimed two double-doubles on the season including an 18-point, 10-rebound afternoon in the season opener against top-five ranked West Texas A&M in the fourth annual Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic in Saint Joseph, Missouri. The 6-foot-1 guard also had a 15-point, 10-assist and six-rebound output in the 60-point, 122-62 home rout of Tennessee Wesleyan (Dec. 15).
 
A Clermont, Florida (Lake Minneola HS), native and Indian River State College transfer, Brown has posted nine double-figure scoring games in 2019-20 and notched 10 assists or more twice. Brown ranks 11th among all Division II basketball players and leads the league with a 3.4 assist/turnover ratio. He is 41st nationally and second in the conference in total assists (78), while ranking 47th and second in the SAC in assists per game (5.2). Averaging 12 points and 5.4 rebounds a game, Brown is shooting a highly-efficient 59.2 percent from the floor to rank fourth among all players in the 12-team league.  
 
Queens University of Charlotte senior guard Daniel Carr is the only other SAC player to appear on the Bevo Francis Award Top 100 watch list.
 
The Clarence "Bevo" Francis Award is presented annually to the player who has had the finest overall season within Small College Basketball. Considerations are based on season statistics and individual achievements, awards, personal character and team achievements. It is an incredibly prestigious award given to one player within Small College Basketball (non-Division I) per season.
 
The 100 players who appear on the watch list are a very elite group that have been chosen from approximately 1,100-1,200 colleges and university throughout the country.
 
2020 marks the fifth year of the Bevo Francis Award. Past winners include Dominez Burnett of Davenport University in 2016, Justin Pitts of Northwest Missouri State in 2017, Emanuel Terry of LMU in 2018 and last year's winner, Aston Francis of Wheaton College.
 
On Saturday, Feb. 15, the national player of the year watch list will be reduced to the top 50 players. One month later on Sunday, March 15 the top 25 players will be announced. On Saturday, April 4, the finalists of this year's award will be revealed, followed by the Bevo Francis Award winner being crowned on Monday, April 6.
 
To stay up to date on all things Small College Basketball, please head to SmallCollegeBasketball.com.
 
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