Photo courtesy of Andrew Pawling / FSC Athletics Brett Hanson goes for a shot in the first half against Valdosta State on Nov. 30, 2019 in the Jenkins Field House.

Sarah Oulman

Florida Southern College men’s basketball players Brett Hanson and Jalyn Hinton have been named to the Top 100 Watch List for the Bevo Francis Award this season. 

The prestigious honor is awarded annually to the player with the finest overall season within Small College Basketball and takes into account individual and team achievements, personal character and awards. 

“Congratulations to all of the players that have made the initial Bevo Francis Award Watch List of 100 players for the 2019-20 season,” founder of Small College Basketball John McCarthy said. “The committee takes into consideration season statistics, individual achievements, awards, milestones, and – importantly – team success.”

The 2020 season marks the fifth year that the Clarence “Bevo” Francis Award will be presented. 

The selected players for the list have been chosen from over 1,200 colleges and universities across the U.S by Small College Basketball and the National Awards Committee.

Hanson and Hinton have each had standout seasons with the Florida Southern Moccasins, with the team currently at 15-2(7-2 SSC) and coming in at No. 9 in the latest NABC Coaches Poll for the 2020 season.

“It’s definitely an honor to be put on the Top 100 Watch List for the Bevo Francis Award,” Hanson said. “Jalyn and I being named to this list is a testament to our team’s success. This is a great accomplishment that I couldn’t have done without the constant support of my family, teammates and coaches.”

The Moccasins have a history of being named for the Bevo Francis Award Watch List after Jonathon Lawton finished as one of the finalists for last season’s award and former All-American Dylan Travis was also named to the Top 100 Watch List in 2016.

“I think being named as one of the Top 100 athletes is definitely an honor,” Hinton said. “I credit the recognition to the success of our team, coaches and program.”

Both Hanson and Hinton have earned the Sunshine State Conference Player of the Week multiple times this season.

Hinton was named the SSC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in the 2020 season last week, after previously receiving the honor on Dec. 9.

Florida Southern Men’s basketball assistant head coach Mike Makubika commented on Hinton’s performance during the 2020 season after he was named for a second time. 

“He brings it every day, and he’s consistent in practice,” Makubika said. “We see it everyday, and he’s reaping the benefits of his hard work.”

In last Wednesday’s game against University of Tampa, Hinton scored 20 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Hinton slam-dunked the ball in the first half after a fast break pass from Hanson, putting the Mocs at 21-19.

Florida Southern competed against Barry University last Saturday, where Hinton scored a total of 11 points and retreieved 11 rebounds.   

Hinton also gave the Mocs a 8-4 lead during the first half after scoring back-to-back layups. 

This week’s SSC Player of the Week Award goes to Hanson, making this the player’s third time reeiving the honor during the 2020 season alone. 

Hanson had previously been named this season on Nov. 11 and Dec. 9. 

This also marks his eighth time being awarded as the Sunshine State Conference Player of the Week throughout his career. 

Last week, the Mocs faced the University of Tampa and Barry University, where Hanson sucessfully scored a total of 30 points in each of the two games.

After a memorable week, Hanson is now approaching a career scoring total of 2,000 points and currently sits only 34 points away from becoming the third player in program history to receive 2,000 career points. 

Hanson now only sits behind Kevin Capers, who was the second player to reach 2,000 career points and ended his career with a total of 2,319 points between the 2012 and 2015 seasons. 

John Ebeling currently holds the record as the all-time leading goal scorer in the program after scoring 2,514 points from 1979 to 1982. 

The Florida Southern senior player currently averages 22.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Between last week’s games, Hanson totaled 60 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds during his time on the court.

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