Emory University men's basketball sophomore Ben Pearce has been named to the Top 50 Watch List for the 2024 Bevo Francis Award, announced Thursday afternoon by Small College Basketball and the National Awards Committee. Pearce is one of 16 players from Division III to make the Top 50 Watch List which is comprised of the top players from across NCAA Division II and III, NAIA, USCAA and NCCAA.

After being named to the Bevo Francis Top 100 Watch List on January 15, Pearce is averaging 19.6 points per game over Emory's eight games in the stretch with the Eagles going 4-4. He's had six games with 19 points or more in the span, including a career-best 32 points in Emory's 89-76 win over WashU on February 9. To go along with his scoring, Pearce is averaging 5.4 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals while playing 35.4 minutes per game.

For the season, Pearce ranks fifth in the UAA in scoring at 17.1 points per game, second with 5.4 assists per game, third in free throw percentage (79.2%) and sixth in three-pointers per game (2.1). Pearce has 15 games with 15 points or more, including seven with more than 20 points. The Eagles currently stand 14-8 overall with three games remaining in the regular season.

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

This marks the eighth year in which the Bevo Francis Award will be awarded. The list will be narrowed down to the Top 25 players on March 15 prior to finalists being unveiled on April 1.

For more information on the award, visit https://www.smallcollegebasketball.com/bevo-francis-award-2