Bevo Francis selected to NAIA Hall of Fame

By RANDY PAYTON

Rio Grande Sports Information

RIO GRANDE, Ohio - Clarence "Bevo" Francis, the most recognizable figure in the athletic history at the University of Rio Grande, has been selected for induction into the NAIA Hall of Fame.

Francis, who is entering the Hall in the Meritorious Service category for men's basketball, will be inducted on March 13, 2012, during the Men's Division I Basketball National Championship in Kansas City, Mo.

"I feel honored, but I never really gave it a lot of thought," the ever humble Francis said of his induction. "It took a long time to happen, though."

Francis, who was raised - and who still resides - in the quaint village of Wellsville, Ohio, rose to national notoriety over a span of two memorable seasons in which he all but rewrote both the NAIA and NCAA record books. The NAIA recognizes all of the games that Rio Grande played in determining Francis' records, while the NCAA only acknowledged games played against four-year degree-granting institutions.

During the 1952-53 campaign, the 6-foot-9 center led the Redmen to a perfect 39-0 record and scored an amazing 116 points in a 150-85 win over Ashland (Ky.) Junior College on January 9, 1953.

Francis finished the season with four new NAIA single-season marks - scoring average (50.1), points (1,954), field goals (708) and free throws (538) - and was named an All-American pick by the Associated Press, United Press International and the Helms Foundation.

The following season, he set the NCAA record for points in a game with 113 in a 134-91 triumph over Hillsdale (Mich.) College on February 2, 1954 and for season scoring average (48.3). The Redmen finished 21-7 and were ranked among the nation's top 20 teams playing a schedule which included the likes of Villanova, Providence, Miami-Fla., North Carolina State, Wake Forest and Arizona State.

Francis was a second team AP All-American in 1953-54.

"I tell people it's nice to hear your name mentioned when someone talks about the school, but it was always more about the team than anything else," Francis said. "I could've stood out there and not scored two points if I didn't have my teammates."

"This is the highest honor presented by the NAIA and, as far as I know, Bevo is the only person from the University of Rio Grande to receive this recognition. For us to be a part of it, it's an honor to say that he's ours," said Rio Grande athletic director Jeff Lanham. "His teammates and coaches all have been a part of this and they all need to be congratulated for it. It's a tremendous honor for someone who grew up a shy young man and gained worldwide recognition as the greatest scorer in the history of college basketball."

Joining Francis in the Hall's 2011-12 class are Melody Robinson Britt, Women's Track & Field, Athlete, Midland (Neb.) University; Bob Burchard, Men's Basketball, Coach, Columbia (Mo.) College; Robert Cornett, Men's Golf, Coach, Texas Wesleyan University; Natalie Steele Crane, Volleyball, Athlete, Taylor (Ind.) University; Dr. Brian Crossman, Men's Soccer, Meritorious Service; Peter Fuller, Men's Soccer, Coach, University of Mobile (Ala.); Dr. Marion "Woody" Gibson, Men's Soccer, Meritorious Service; Ron Hall, Football, Athlete, Missouri Valley College; Pete Hanson, Meritorious Service; Harold Hubbard, Meritorious Service; Steve Hulsey, Women's Golf, Coach, Southern Nazarene (Okla.) University; E.L. Hutton, Meritorious Service; John Loftin, Women's Basketball, Coach, Southwestern Oklahoma State University; Richard Panella, Women's Basketball, Coach, Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) University; Freddy Sanchez (Baseball, Meritorious Service; Dr. Darrell Saunders, Men's Soccer, Meritorious Service; and Earl Woudstra, Women's Basketball, Coach, Northwestern (Iowa) College.

Induction into the Hall is the highest honor bestowed by the NAIA. Inductees must be persons of outstanding quality, high moral character, fine leadership ability and must be held in high esteem by colleagues, coaches and athletes.

The Hall of Fame consists of a division for each sport currently or formerly sponsored by the associated and a division for general meritorious service to the NAIA. The Hall is divided into three categories - athlete, coach and meritorious service.