Wheaton College (Ill.) Aston Francis named 2019 D3hoops.com National Player of the Year

Wheaton senior guard Aston Francis was named the 2019 D3hoops.com National Player of the Year.

This season's Jostens Trophy winner concluded his record-setting senior campaign on Friday night with 44 points a National Semifinal loss to UW-Oshkosh, marking the 10th time this season he has scored 40 or more points and the 14th time in his career. His sensational postseason performance set five Division III Men's Basketball Tournament records. His 44.8 points per game in the tournament breaks the previous tournament record of 37.3 points by Kyle Myrick of Lincoln (Pa.). Francis scored 224 points in Wheaton's five postseason games to break the previous tournament record of 177 points by Williams' Michael Nogelo in 1998, The Thunder senior made 72 field goals in this year's tournament as he broke the previous tournament record of 68 field goals by Greg Grant of TCNJ in 1989. Francis' 36 three-pointers in the tournament surpassed the old tournament record of 35 treys made by Augustana's Kirk Anderson in 1993. His 62 points in Wheaton's victory over Marietta is also an Division III Tournament record as well as a school and CCIW record.

A two-time D3hoops.com Central Region Player of the Year, Francis leads All NCAA Divisions with 34.2 points per game and broke the NCAA Division III record for points in a single season with 1,096 points. His 173 three-pointers this year is the second-highest single-season total in Division III history. Francis also led the Thunder with 7.9 rebounds per game and finished second on the team with 3.1 assists per game.

In his three seasons for the Thunder, Francis rewrote the Wheaton record books, finishing second in points scored with 2,396 career points, which also ranks fifth in CCIW history. He also ranks second in school history with 783 career made field goals, fifth in school history with 443 career made free throws, and 11th in school history with 287 career assists. His 388 career three-pointers smashed the previous school record and ranks seventh in Division III history. His career scoring average of 28.9 points per game established a new school record and ranks sixth in Division III history and his average of 4.68 three-pointers per game is the fourth-highest in Division III history.

Francis connected on a three-pointer in all 83 games in a Thunder uniform, a mark that ranks second in Division III history, trailing only Marcos Echevarria of Nichols, who also broke the Division III record this season and finished his career with 105 consecutive games with a made three-pointer.

This marks Francis' second All-American nod this season, following a Second Team All-American selection from the NABC earlier.

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