CSUSB's Brandon Knapper made the first watchlist for the 2021-22 Bevo Francis Award.
 
The first list features 100 players from DII, DIII, NAIA, USCAA, and NCCAA men's college basketball. It will be trimmed three more times throughout the season before the Bevo Francis Award winner will be announced on April 4.
 
Brandon Knapper is leading the CCAA and is ranked 15th in the country with 21.9 points per game. The 6-0 junior guard has scored 20 or more points in nine of the Yotes' 13 games. He registered a season-best 33 points early in the season against Central Washington, and later in conference play, he put up 32 points against Stanislaus State. In both games, the Ontario, Calif., native hit six 3-pointers. Knapper has helped Cal State San Bernardino climb to No. 5 in the national rankings.

The award was created in 2015 and is named after Clarence "Bevo" Francis. Francis played two seasons at what is now the University of Rio Grande. In his first season, he led the team to a 39-0 record averaging 50.1 points per game, highlighted by a 116-point performance against Ashland College in Kentucky.

Knapper will lead the Yotes into a Top-5 National showdown on Saturday at the No. 5 Yotes face No. 4 CSU San Marcos at 3 pm.  The game is live on the CCAANetwork.