UW-La Crosse's Grieger Named To Bevo Francis Award Top 25 Watch List

Bevo Francis Award Website

LA CROSSE, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse junior guard Sam Grieger has been named to the 2026 Bevo Francis Award Top 25 Watch List.

The Bevo Francis Award is presented annually by Small College Basketball to the player who had the finest overall season within small college basketball. Considerations are made for season statistics, individual achievements, awards, personal character and team achievements. All men's basketball players at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III and Division II, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division I and Division II, United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Division I and Division II, and National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Division I and Division II are eligible for the award.

Finalists will be announced April 4 with the winner being selected on April 6.

Grieger was named the 2025-26 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Player of the Year while being selected to the all-conference first team. He is the seventh player in school history to be named the WIAC Player of the Year. Grieger was recently announced as one of 11 finalists for the 2026 Jostens Trophy on March 12 to recognize the most outstanding men's NCAA Division III Player of the Year.

He earned his second career All-WIAC first team honor this year. Currently sixth in NCAA Division III in scoring at 25.7 points per game, Grieger led the WIAC in scoring, free throws made (212) and attempted (248) and assist/turnover ratio (2.5). He also led the league in field goals made (275) and attempted (533). Grieger leads NCAA Division III in field goals made while currently being fourth in attempts and fifth in free throws made and attempted.

His 797 points this year breaks the single-season school record of 666 by Tony Mane in 2010-11. The 797 points ranks fourth in single-season conference history. Grieger scored a school record 46 points at UW-Oshkosh on Jan. 7, breaking Eric Dudek's single-game record of 43 versus UW-Whitewater on Feb. 22, 1995.

Scoring in double figures in all 31 games this year, Grieger had at least 25 points in 17 contests. He became the 19th player in UWL history to eclipse 1,000 career points this year and currently ranks sixth with 1,503. Grieger set single-season school records for free throws made (212) and attempted (248) and field goals made (275) and attempted (533) this year.

He is third in the WIAC in assists per game (3.5) and free throw shooting (85.5%), tied for seventh in steals (1.2) and eighth in field goal shooting (51.8 %). Grieger is also averaging 5.0 rebounds per game.

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