For the second time in his career, John Carroll graduate student Luke Chicone (Mentor, OH/Mentor) has been named to the Bevo Francis Award Top 25 Watch List.
Presented annually by Small College Basketball, the Clarence "Bevo" Francis Award honors the student-athlete who puts together the finest overall season across NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, USCAA and NCCAA institutions.
Chicone capped one of the most decorated individual seasons in Blue Streak history, breaking three single-season program records. The point guard finished the year with 710 points (23.7 ppg), surpassing JCU’s George Dalton whose scoring mark stood for 73 years (1952-53). He also rewrote the steals record, totaling 83 steals (2.7 spg) to eclipse the previous mark of 74 set by Chris Zajac in 2008-09. In the first round of the Men’s NCAA Division III Basketball Tournament, an 11-assist performance allowed Chicone to surpass David Pfundstein's single-season assists record of 176 (1996-97). He finished the season with 191 assists (6.4 apg) after recording another four helpers in the second round of the national tournament.
Chicone led the NCAC in scoring, assists and steals en route to earning first-team all-conference honors and being named the NCAC Player of the Year and Top Defensive Player, marking him just the fourth player in NCAA Men's Basketball history to win conference player of the year in multiple conferences. The point guard was equally dominant in the postseason, averaging 33 points per game in the NCAC Tournament and setting conference records for total points (101), total field goals (39), and single-game field goals (16) on his way to Tournament MVP honors. Nationally, Chicone was the only Division III player to rank in the top five in total points, steals and assists.
About the Bevo Francis Award Named in honor of Clarence "Bevo" Francis, the award is presented annually to the top overall performer in small-college basketball. Selection criteria include season statistics, individual achievements and awards, personal character and team success. The 2025-26 season marks the 10th year of the award, which is presented to only one student-athlete each year.