KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Awards Committee and Small College Basketball announced the Bevo Francis Award Top 100 Watch List for the 2024-25 season. The watch list consists of the top players from NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, USCAA, and NCCAA. No. 3 Nova Southeastern has three student-athletes on the initial watch list, as Dallas Graziani, MJ Iraldi, and Ryker Cisarik have earned recognition for their respective performances.
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, individual achievements, awards, personal character and team achievements. The 2025 season marks the eighth year of the Bevo Francis award. Former Nova Southeastern Sharks Men’s Basketball player and current assistant coach, RJ Sunahara was named the recipient of the 2023 Bevo Francis Award, culminating a season in which he led the Sharks to the program’s first NCAA Division II National Championship – the eighth undefeated title season in Division II history – and earned Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year, D2 CCA South Region, and NABC National Player of the Year honors.
Graziani, a member of the Sharks’ national championship team, is the driving force behind Nova Southeastern’s fast-paced offensive attack that leads NCAA Division II in points-per-game (109.9). Graziani leads Division II in assist/turnover ration (6.24), ranks second nationally in assists (156), second in assists-per-game (9.8), second in steals (55), and second in steals-per-game (3.44). The junior began the 2024-25 season by recording four consecutive double-doubles and notched his eighth of the season in the Sharks’ 117-112 victory over No. 8 Florida Southern on Wednesday night at the Rick Case Arena, as NSU won its’ 72nd consecutive game on the home floor. Graziani ranks fourth all-time in program history in assists (421) and is tied for fourth in steals (170).
Iraldi has elevated his game in his second season with the Sharks, leading the Sunshine State Conference in points-per-game (23.8), which ranks seventh in Division II, while also ranking second nationally in field goals made (143). Iraldi has recorded four games on the season with over 30 points, most recently on January 4th, in a Sunshine State Conference game against Eckerd. Iraldi scored a career-high 33 points, against Barry on December 14, 2024. the most in a single game for Nova Southeastern since Sunahara recorded 41 against Bluefield State on December 19, 2022.
Cisarik is on pace for career-best season for the Sharks and has doubled his points-per-game (9.2 in 2023-24/18.8 in 2024-25) midway through the campaign. On the season, Cisarik is shooting at a 60/42/84% clip and has recorded four double-doubles, most recently against No. 8 Florida Southern (22 points/10 rebounds). Cisarik leads NSU in rebounds (121), rebounds-per-game (7.6), blocks (26) and is second on the team in points (301) and points-per-game (18.8).
No. 3 Nova Southeastern returns to action on Saturday, January 18th, traveling to play the Florida Tech Panthers. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. The second edition of the Bevo Francis Award Watch List, which will consist of 50 players, will be announced on February 15th.
To stay up-to-date on Sharks Men’s Basketball, be sure to follow on Instagram and X at NSU_MBasketball.
