Ferris State's Walt Kelser Named To 2022 Bevo Francis Award Watch List

Big Rapids, Mich. - Ferris State University standout senior guard Walt Kelser (Southfield), who has led the Bulldogs to a perfect start in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play this year, has been chosen to the 2022 Bevo Francis Award Top 100 Watch List.

Small College Basketball and the National Awards Committee announced the Top 100 watch list for the Bevo Francis Award, consisting of the nation's top players from NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA Division I, NAIA Division II, the USCAA and the NCCAA.

"Congratulations to every player that is on this list, as this is a very elite list of players," said Small College Basketball's John McCarthy. "Within all of college basketball at the small college levels, there are approximately 14,000 to 16,000 players, and there are only 100 players on this list.

"Each player on this list is in the midst of a fantastic season, both individually, and as a team," he added. "It's important to note that this is a very challenging process, and I am grateful for tremendous input from our committee, and I'm grateful for all of the information that was sent to us from coaches, SID's and others. Once again, congratulations to each player that is on this prestigious list."

The Clarence "Bevo" Francis Award is presented annually to the player who has had the finest overall season within Small College Basketball. Considerations include season statistics and individual achievements, awards, personal character and team achievements. The award is given to only one player within Small College Basketball per season.

This year marks the sixth year of 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 and Kyle Mangas of Indiana Wesleyan University in 2020.

The list will be reduced to the Top 50 players on Feb. 15. One month later, on March 15, the Top 25 players will be announced. On April 2, the finalists of this year's award will be announced followed by the Bevo Francis Award winner being crowned on April 4.a

This season, Kelser is currently among the country's top scorers, averaging 20.2 points per game. He's shooting 47% from the floor and 42% from the three-point line for one of the nation's top scoring offenses. Kelser, who notched his 1,000th career point this year, has totaled 10 points or more in all 15 games to date, including seven games with 20 or more total points. He's also averaging 3.2 assists per game for FSU while hauling down four rebounds per contest.

Ferris State, currently 12-3 overall and a perfect 7-0 in the GLIAC, will host Lake Superior State on Thursday (Jan. 20) night at 7:30 p.m. (ET) inside Jim Wink Arena.

Additional information on the Bevo Francis Award can be found at this link below:
https://www.smallcollegebasketball.com/bevo-francis-award-2