FHSU ATHLETICS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Fort Hays State junior forward Dan Mukuna has been named to the Bevo Francis Top 100 Watch List for the 2025-26 season, released by Small College Basketball on Thursday, January 15. The watch list encompasses players from NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, NCCAA, and USCAA.
Mukuna is having a strong second year with the Tigers, averaging 19.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game through 15 contests. He has scored in double figures 12 times this year and scored at least 20 points in a game nine times. He had a season-high 34 points and 15 rebounds in a win over South Dakota Mines earlier this year.
This is the third-straight year the Tigers have had a player named to the watch list. Kaleb Hammeke was on the list for the final two years of his career as he went on to set the career scoring record at FHSU (2,086 points). He was the first Tiger men's player to ever eclipse the 2,000-point mark for a career.
Consideration for the award is based on season statistics, individual achievements, awards, personal character, and team achievements. It is a prestigious award given to only one player within the coverage of Small College Basketball.
The namesake of the award, Clarence "Bevo" Francis, played at Rio Grande College (now the University of Rio Grande) in Ohio in 1952-53 and 1953-54. Over two seasons at Rio Grande, Bevo averaged 47.1 points per game in 39 official contests at both the NAIA and NCAA Division II levels. He still to this day owns the NAIA single-season scoring average record, set at 48.3 points per game in 1952-53 (12 games), and the NCAA Division II single-season scoring average record of 46.5 points per game in 1953-54 (27 games). He scored a single-game NCAA Division II record 113 points in 1954, and also had a 116-point game against a college not recognized for official records.
The winner of the award in five of the last eight years has been from NCAA Division II institutions. That list includes Justin Pitts of Northwest Missouri State (2017), Emanuel Terry of Lincoln Memorial (2018), Trevor Hudgins of Northwest Missouri State (2022), RJ Sunahar of Nova Southeastern (2023), and most recently MJ Iraldi of Nova Southeastern (2025).
Mukuna is among eight student-athletes from the MIAA being considered for the award. See the Top 100 list at the link provided above.