KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Southwest Minnesota State University senior guard Jakob Braaten has been named to the 2025-26 Bevo Francis Top 100 Watch List released Thursday by Small College Basketball and the National Awards Committee.
 
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 highlights many of the nation's top student-athletes competing across NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, USCAA, and NCCAA programs.
 
Braaten is the second SMSU player to be recognized for the award since its inception during the 2015-16 season. Ryan Bruggeman was named to the Francis Top 50 Watch List in 2019. 
 
"Congratulations to the 100 players on the Bevo Francis Award Watch List," said John McCarthy from Small College Basketball. "This is a highly prestigious list, as there are approximately 14,000 - 16,000 players that play basketball at the small college levels, and these 100 players have been instrumental in leading their teams to great success thus far this season. Also, thank you to the Small College Basketball National Awards Committee for a great deal of insight, and thank you to all the coaches and administrators that nominated candidates for the Bevo Francis Award Watch List."
 
Braaten, a native of Byron, Minn., leads SMSU in several statistics categories this season including scoring (16.7), field goals (91), rebounds (5.9), assists (76) and free throw pct. (87.1).
 
He has scored 20 or more points six times this season and last Saturday become the 29^th player in team history to reach 1,000 career points. In the NCAA Division II national statistics as of Jan. 13, he ranks 26^th in assists, 31^st in assists per game (5.1), 54^th in free throw pct. and 85^th in field goals.
 
Braaten has played in 100 career games and ranks sixth in team history in both assists (311) and steals (138).
 
The 2025-26 basketball season marks the ninth-year of the Bevo Francis Award. 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, Trevor Hudgins of Northwest Missouri State in 2022, RJ Sunahara of Nova Southeastern in 2023, Elijah Malone of Grace in 2024 and MJ Iraldi of Nova Southeastern in 2025.
 
Small College Basketball will reduce the watchlist to the Top 50 on Feb. 15, and the Top 25 on March 15. Finalists will be announced on April 4 with the overall winner on April 6.
 
SMSU (10-5, 8-2 NSIC), currently tied for first-place in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, returns to action this Friday and Saturday hosting Minot State and UMary inside the R/A Facility. SMSU and MSU tip-off at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, while Saturday's game versus UMary begins at 5 p.m.