Boots Named To Bevo Francis Award Top 100 Watch List
UW-Oshkosh junior guard Ben Boots has been selected to the watch list for Small College Basketball's Bevo Francis Award.
The Bevo Francis Award honors the finest men's basketball player from the NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, the United States Collegiate Athletic Association and the National Christian College Athletic Association.
Boots, the lone WIAC player named to the initial watch list of 100 players, was among 25 NCAA Division III players selected by the Bevo Francis Award committee, which chose the watch list from more than 1,100 institutions.
Boots is leading UW-Oshkosh with 15.1 points, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He paces the conference in assists, free throw percentage (.870) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.54). Boots is shooting 46.1 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.
Boots has helped lead the Titans to a 13-3 record this season, including a 3-2 mark in the WIAC. UW-Oshkosh is currently ranked sixth in the NCAA Division III by D3hoops.com.
Boots, who has started all 16 games this season, has produced 13 double-digit scoring performances this year. The 2017 All-WIAC First Team selection registered season highs of 25 points against Ripon College on Dec. 30, 10 rebounds against Calvin College (Mich.) on Dec. 9 and eight assists against Willamette University (Ore.) on Dec. 21. Boots added 22 points against Calvin College for his first career double-double.
During his career Boots is averaging 12.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steals per contest, shooting 44.2 percent from the field, 38.5 percent from 3-point range and 85.3 percent at the free throw line in 72 games, including 43 as a starter. The Titans have advanced to the Division III Championship during both of Boots' first two seasons.
Small College Basketball will publish a 50-player watch list on Feb. 15 before narrowing the field of contenders to 25 players on March 15. The finalists for the award will be announced on March 31, and the winner is scheduled to be revealed on April 2.
The 2017-18 season marks the third for the Bevo Francis Award, which was given to Dominez Burnett of NCAA Division II's Davenport University (Mich.) in 2016 and Justin Pitts from Northwest Missouri State University in 2017.