Calvin University junior center Jalen Overway was named to the top 100 watch list for the Bevo Francis Award on Thursday.
 
The Clarence "Bevo" Francis Award is presented annually to the player with the finest overall season within Small College Basketball, which includes NCAA II, NCAA III and NAIA institutions. Considerations include season statistics and individual achievements, awards, personal character and team achievements. The prestigious award will only be given to one player within the Small College Basketball ranks per season.
 
This marks the third time Overway has been named a candidate for the award through his first three seasons on the court after also making the cut for the top 50 watch lists during his freshman (2022-23) and sophomore (2023-24) seasons. During his sophomore season, Overway made the top 25 watch list for the award.
 
A 2025-26 Preseason All-American, Overway is averaging career highs this season in points (22.4) and rebounds (11.9) per game while shooting a career-best 63.6 percent from the field and recording 10 double-doubles in 14 games.
 
For his career, Overway ranks 12th in Calvin men's basketball program history with 1,408 career points and seventh with 746 career rebounds while recording 39 career double-doubles. He is averaging 19.8 points and 10.8 rebounds during his three seasons with the Knights and is one of only six Calvin players to record at least 1,000 career points in his first two seasons.
 
Overway is a two-time All-American with the Knights from his first two seasons, as well as a two-time MIAA Most Valuable Player, MIAA First Team and NABC First Team All-District honoree. He was also the NABC District 7 Most Valuable Player as a sophomore in 2023-24 while leading Calvin to its second consecutive MIAA regular season championship.
 
The Bevo Francis Award will continue to cut the list of candidates during the rest of the season, with later watch list updates moving to a top 50 and then a top 25 candidates.
 
The 16th-ranked Calvin men's basketball team is currently 11-3 on the season and is off to a 3-0 start to MIAA play. The Knights will return to action on Saturday, January 17, when it hosts Albion College in a game scheduled to start at 3:00 PM.