The DII men’s basketball season tips off Nov. 4 at the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic. There will be plenty of star power over the two-day season-opening tournament, including some players that may find themselves in the player-of-the-year conversation at season’s end. 

The Bevo Francis watchlist usually drops around mid-January. That list compiles 100 of the best small college basketball players from JUCO to DII. The majority of that first 100 typically hail from DII, but don’t expect this list to be that comprehensive. This is a quick look at some of the players that should find their way onto Small College Basketball’s initial watchlist in January.

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15 DII men’s basketball players to watch (in alphabetical order)

Trevor Baskin, Colorado Mesa

The Mavericks return just about everyone except last year’s leading scorer, Blaise Threatt. That shouldn’t be an issue, though, and that’s primarily because Baskin will be leading the Mavericks’ charge. Last year, the 6-foot-9 forward averaged 14 points and a team-high 7.1 rebounds per game and 35 blocks. Colorado Mesa will have a bit of a different feel this year, likely picking up the tempo and being a faster team, and the person who that may benefit most is Baskin. 

“At 6-foot-9, Trevor’s versatility makes him such a difficult matchup,” Colorado Mesa head coach Mike DeGeorge told NCAA.com. “His work ethic over the past four years has helped him become a threat at all positions and on any spot on the floor. Our change to a more up-tempo style will create even more opportunities for him to make plays in space.”

Drew Blair, Minnesota Duluth

Minnesota Duluth won the Central Region last year and should only be better this season. The Bulldogs’ guard is already garnering attention before the season even starts, being named the NSIC preseason player of the year. Blair littered the NSIC leaderboards last year, including leading the league in points with 718. He also led the team in steals and drained 92 shots from 3-point land, so he is a weapon everywhere on the court. 

“Drew has established himself as one of the best scorers in the country,” head coach Justin Wieck said. “Entering his 5th year on the court, he is as healthy as he has been in a while and continues to find ways to help us win. Drew is closing in on a few UMD individual records but is focused on helping our team achieve at a high level.”

Jadin Booth, Florida Southern

Booth broke out in 2023 as one of the best scorers in DII men’s basketball. He shifted from reserve player in his freshman 2021-22 campaign to starter with little issue and wound up leading the Sunshine State Conference — a conference that had the DII player of the year and Nova Southeastern’s high-flying offense — in scoring with 22 points per game. He also made the most 3-pointers per game in the conference, making him a weapon from anywhere on the floor. 

“Jadin is one of the best players I have ever coached,” Mocs’ head coach Mike Donnelly told me. “He’s a tremendous scorer because he can attack and score in multiple ways both with and without the ball. Jadin has a high basketball IQ and is a very underrated defender as well. We expect him to have another big year for us”.

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Frank Champion, North Georgia

Champion had a big 2022-23 campaign and made it to the Bevo Francis Top 25 watchlist at the end of the season. The 6-foot-7 forward averaged nearly a double-double last year with nightly averages of 20.2 points and 9.9 rebounds — which was tops in the Peach Belt Conference as were his 126 assists. It’s no surprise North Georgia pulled off the 7/2 upset in the first round of last year’s tournament with Champion on the floor.

“Frank has a unique ability to impact the game equally through his scoring, rebounding, and passing,” Nighthawks’ head coach Dan Evans told NCAA.com. “He’s highly efficient in the post, midrange, and transition. His tremendous balance and feel with the ball allow his footwork to create angles for scores. At his size and athleticism, these combinations are really special. Above and beyond his statistical impact, he is a great leader who is genuinely willing to do anything to help the program be successful. On top of being one of the best players in the country, he embodies what it means to be a student-athlete.”

Wes Dreamer, Northwest Missouri State

Dreamer is back for one more run with the Bearcats after starting for both the 2021 and 2022 champs. As one of those Northwest Missouri State classic hybrid guard/forward players, Dreamer has developed from key role player to a focal point of the offense. Last year, he posted averages of 12.8 points and a team-high 5.2 rebounds per game while shooting an impressive 41.1 percent from 3. Now, he is part of an experienced bunch with plenty of tournament prowess that will be looking to finish his career with an exclamation point. 

“Wes has been a big part of multiple national championships and has grown into a dependable leader for this year’s team,” head coach Ben McCollum said. “His versatility allows us to attack multiple different ways offensively.”

Isaiah “Ike” Fuller, Nova Southeastern

The reigning DII player of the year and Bevo Francis winner, RJ Sunahara, hailed from Nova Southeastern, but he and most of that national championship lineup have moved on. Head coach Jim Crutchfield is looking to new additions to pick up his high-octane style, and perhaps no one may be better suited than Fuller. 

Fuller had a career year with Missouri-St. Louis last year, and the Tritons made a surprise run to just their second DII Men’s Elite Eight ever. He led the team in scoring and was one of the leaders in steals for a team that was second in its conference in takeaways. His style of play should mesh with the Sharks’ attack on both sides of the floor and propel him to even new career highs. 

“Ike has been a great addition to our program,” Crutchfield told me. “Ike is our best fundamental defender especially in the half-court setting. This has been a difficult situation blending 10 new players into our up-tempo system, but Ike’s personality and skill set has made the transition smoother.”

KJ Jones II, Emmanuel (GA)

Jones led DII men’s basketball in scoring last year and enters the 2023-24 season as the active career point scorer with 2,246. He is a two-time Conference Carolinas player of the year and reigning All-American. His shooting from beyond the arc has greatly improved over the years and he is one of DII men’s basketball’s all-around weapons and a presence on both sides of the floor. 

“KJ is certainly special in so many ways,” Emmanuel head coach TJ Rosene told me. “Leading the nation in scoring is impressive, but very seldom do you see that happen with the numbers he had. He was almost a 40/50/90 [percentage] guy. His percentages — along with leading the team in assists and rebounds — speak to how complete he is. Not to mention a 3.9 GPA. He works like, acts like and shows up like a pro every day.”

Zach Laput, Bentley

Laput was another player that reached the final 25 on the Bevo Francis watchlist last year, powering the Falcons with an NE10-best 20.4 points per game to go along with 7.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Those numbers were all significantly better than his impressive debut the season prior. Having Laput on the roster saw the Falcons picked to finish first in the conference this preseason after finishing 23-7 a year ago and making it to the East Region finals. 

“Zach is a very physical and skilled guard who can efficiently score the ball in a variety of ways,” Bentley head coach Jay Lawson told NCAA.com. “However, what separates him from others is his one-of-a-kind drive and work ethic to reach his potential. Because of this, he continues to improve every year and his approach pushes the rest of our program to do the same.”

Jacksen Moni, Northern State

Northern State is always a team to watch, and Moni seems like a player on the verge of a major breakout. The 6-foot-10 forward has the height to take advantage in DII and become one of the stars of the NSIC. He made the initial Bevo Francis Award Top 100 last year and finished the season with 15.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 48.5 percent from the floor. His ability to play both ends of the floor earned him First-Team All-NSIC honors in 2023. 

“Jacksen’s size and skill are truly unique,” head coach Saul Phillips said. “To have the shooting range he has at 6-foot-10 jumps off the page, but he scores in a lot of different ways and, in my mind, is as good as anyone in Division II nationwide. He can handle the ball, post, shoot, and pass. His skill set allows us to do a lot of different things on offense. He plays with a high basketball IQ and is hungry to work and improve every day.”

Ethan Porterfield, Indiana (PA)

The Crimson Hawks’ head coach Joe Lombardi told me Porterfield was the best player he’s coached in the past five years. That’s quite remarkable when you consider that IUP has gone 123-10 since the 2018-19 season. That is a lot of big scorers and All Americans to pass through, so it speaks volumes of what Porterfield can do. Last year, the Crimson Hawks were deep with scorers, but Porterfield still put up 12.5 points per game while contributing six rebounds a night and 60 assists. If IUP comes out of the PSAC once again, it will be on the heels of a Porterfield monster year.

“Ethan Porterfield is a two-time PSAC Tournament MVP and has a career record as a starter of 93-7 over the last three full seasons. He has been one of the most impactful players in the country during this time,” IUP head coach Joe Lombardi told NCAA.com. “Ethan has emerged as one of the best players in the country because he is extremely skilled at 6-foot-9 — he led all three divisions in 3-point percentage at the end of the regular season in 2021-22. But mainly, his value as a player comes from the fact that he is an unselfish and humble teammate who makes everyone around him better.”

Chase Rankin, Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln Memorial made another trip to the DII Men’s Elite Eight last year and Rankin’s all-around game led the charge. Rankin is more than a points scorer — he led the South Atlantic Conference in assists, led the team in steals, and at 6-foot-1, his 16 blocks were an impressive contribution to the team. The Railsplitters score tons of points and Rankin is without a doubt the key to the engine.

“Chase is very opportunistic with his ability to score the ball, but his ability to create shots for his teammates is what makes him elite,” said head coach Jeremiah Samarrippas. “When he wants to get 20-plus points he can and it’s always efficient. Chase does a good job of hunting great shots for us and as a result over the last two seasons he’s shooting 54 percent from the field and 41 percent from three. His ability to make 3’s off the catch and the dribble continues to get better — combine that with speed to get downhill and you have a very dangerous scorer.”

Bennett Stirtz, Northwest Missouri State

Stirtz had a big DII men’s basketball debut last year, taking home MIAA freshman of the year while leading the conference in field-goal percentage and assist-to-turnover ratio. He is also dangerous from 3-point land, hitting 43.8 percent of his shots from downtown, and tenacious on defense, finishing second on the team in steals last year. With Diego Bernard gone, expect Stirtz to step up and become one of the leaders on this team, which should translate to an even better season than his freshman campaign.

“Bennett is a true point guard,” McCollum said. “He has the ability to get the ball where it needs to be with simplicity and can score at a high level. His length defensively and ability to finish at the rim is something we are fortunate to have.”

Erik Timko, Jefferson

Timko has been racking up the accolades since he stepped on a DII men’s basketball court. He was the CACC rookie of the year in his 2021-22 freshman debut and took home CACC player of the year honors last year. Timko led the CACC in scoring last year, averaging 22.5 points per game while shooting an impressive 45.2 percent from 3-point land and 52.6 percent from the floor. He also led his team in assists, so he’s not out there trying to be a one-man show. 

“Erik is a special player because he wants to be great,” Jefferson head coach Jimmy Reilly told me. “There is not a time throughout the day that Erik — if he is not in class or doing schoolwork — is not in the gym working on his game, in the weight room, watching film or doing anything that would help him achieve his goals.”

Jaden Wells, Central Oklahoma

Wells can light it up from the floor and beyond the arc, shooting 42.6 percent from 3 last year. He is also a prolific defender and can matchup with other team’s best shooters. Central Oklahoma plays in two high-profile DII men’s basketball tournaments this year — the SCB Hall of Fame Classic and the High Desert Classic — so he and the Bronchos will be facing some stiff competition early, which could make him stronger down the stretch.

“I’m really glad Jaden is a part of our team,” head coach Bob Hoffman told NCAA.com. “His voice and encouragement for his teammates is always at a high level. The uniqueness of his game is the ability to score at multiple levels which he has worked really hard at. It’s going to be a lot of fun to use him as a weapon and a decoy this season… but mainly a weapon because he is one”.  

Larry Wise, West Texas A&M

West Texas A&M is returning a ton of talent, so Wise won’t be alone on this speedy offensive attack. That said, he should be the scoring and floor leader after averaging 14.6 points per game last year and dishing out 56 assists, both second on the team behind the departed Julius Brown. Since joining the Buffs two seasons ago from North Texas, Wise has consecutive First-Team All-LSC appearances, a trend that should continue in 2023-24. 

“Larry Wise is a 6-foot-5 playmaker who can score in multiple ways as he has played every position for us the last couple seasons,” West Texas A&M head coach Tom Brown told me. “He is very versatile and can close out a game, as he shoots around 90 percent from the charity stripe. Larry is someone that has continued to get better and better here at WT, and we are looking forward to his senior year.” 

A few more to consider:

• Shaw Anderson, Seattle Pacific
• Majok Deng, Colorado School of Mines
• Kevon Godwin, Angelo State
• Lakeem McAliley, East Stroudsburg
• Kendrick Tchoua, UIndy
• Malik Willingham, Minnesota State