Calvin Watson added to a growing list of accolades in his senior year on Tuesday when he was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference team.

Watson was a third-team selection.

The former Houston Madison standout led the Mean Green to a third-place finish in the Sun Belt's West Division and the fifth seed in this week's conference tournament by averaging 15.6 points a game. He also ranks third in the Sun Belt with 78 3-pointers on the season.

Watson was the only member of either the UNT men's or women's team to earn a spot on the all-conference team. Mean Green men's head coach Johnny Jones was surprised Watson was the only UNT player on the squad.

"I was a little surprised because I heard all year what a good team we had and how talented our team was," Jones said. "To only have one guy on the third team is surprising. We have a number of guys who deserve it, but that is not something we can control. I look at our record and we are 19-9 and 10-8 in the conference."

Watson became the Mean Green's all-time leader in 3-pointers this season when he pushed his total to 190 and helped the Mean Green earn a first-round home game with UL-Lafayette at 7 p.m. tonight. The UNT women will play at South Alabama at the same time.

Jones considered Kendrick Davis a strong candidate for the team.

The senior was the Newcomer of the Year in the Sun Belt last season and enters the conference tournament averaging 13.7 points a game.

Davis has hit a number of big shots for UNT throughout the season, including two game-winners against Louisiana-Lafayette and another against Western Kentucky.

"Some of the shots Kendrick made has created the excitement and buzz we have around our program," Jones said. "Sometimes other teams have come back and made a shot, but he has put them in position to have to make a tough play."

Watson had never made the all-conference team before this season despite an impressive career resume. He enters the Sun Belt tournament with 1,172 career points, a total that ranks 11^th in school history.

New Orleans guard Bo McCalebb was named the Player of the Year, while Orlando Early of Louisiana-Monroe was named the Coach of the Year.

After suffering a few heartbreaking losses in the Sun Belt Conference tournament the last few years, UNT is more interested in the team accomplishment that is winning in the first round of the event than in individual awards.

The UNT men have gone four years without a Sun Belt tournament win.

"We hope that we can win in the tournament," Jones said. "We want to show what we can do more so as a team than as individuals."

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com.

All-Sun Belt Conference Team

Men

First team -- Rashad Jones-Jennings (UALR, Sr., F), Adrian Banks (ASU, Jr. G), Bo McCalebb (UNO, Jr. G), Demetric Bennett (USA, Jr., G), Courtney Lee (WKU, Jr., G/F)

Second team -- Isaac Wells (ASU, Jr., F), Carlos Monroe (FAU, So., F), DeAndre Rice (FAU, Sr. G), Alex Galindo (FIU, So., F), Ernest Little (USA, Jr., F)

Third team -- David Dees (ULL, Jr., G), Tony Hooper (ULM, So., G), Kevin Kanaskie (MT, So., G), Daon Merritt (USA, Jr., G), Calvin Watson (UNT, Sr., G)

Player of the Year

Bo McCalebb (UNO, Jr. G)

Defensive Player of the Year

Sammy Sharp (Troy, Sr., F)

Newcomer of the Year

Adrian Banks (ASU, Jr., G)

Freshman of the Year

Elijah Millsap (ULL, Fr. G)

Coach of the Year

Orlando Early, Louisiana-Monroe

Women

First Team -- Adrianne Davie (ASU, Sr., C), Chrissy Givens (MT, Sr., G),  Amber Holt (MT, Jr., F), Yolanda Jones (ULL, Sr., F), Crystal Kelly (WKU, Jr., F)

Second Team -- Kim Sitzmann (UALR, Fr., G), Rudy Sims (ASU, Sr., G),  Tyesha Lowery (Denver, Sr., G), Lasma Jekabsone (FIU, Sr., C),  Whitney Woodard (USA, Sr., F)

Third Team -- LaQuetta Ferguson (FIU, Jr., G),  Krystle Horton (MT, Sr., F),  Le'Della English (UNO, Jr., G),  Kylie Morrissy (Troy, So., G), Dominique Duck (WKU, So., F)

Player of the Year

Chrissy Givens (MT, Sr., G)

Defensive Player of the Year

Chrissy Givens (MT, Sr., G)

Newcomer of the Year

Amber Holt (MT, Jr., F)

Freshman of the Year

Kim Sitzmann (UALR, Fr., G)

Coach of the Year

Rick Insell, MT