DENTON, Texas – North Texas forward Tony Mitchell was named the Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year and a First-Team All-Sun Belt selection on Wednesday. Mitchell becomes just the third player in the history of the league to earn both of those honors in the same season, and the first since VCU’s Kendrick Warren in 1990-91.
Mitchell joins Josh White (2007-08) as North Texas winners of the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year award, and is just the third Mean Green player to earn First-Team recognition since NT entered the league for the 2000-01 season.
“We are excited for Tony and his accomplishments, and the recognition he has received by being voted Freshman of the Year and being placed on the First-Team All-Conference,” said North Texas head coach Johnny Jones. “I think he is very deserving and I personally feel that he is one of the top players in the country. He has made a huge impact on our team, and has represented our institution, our program and our community in a first class manner, and we applaud him for that.”
In Sun Belt games, Mitchell leads the conference in scoring (15.9 ppg), rebounding (11.8 rpg), 3-point field goal percentage (47.1) and blocks (3.1 bpg), and finished second in field goal percentage (58.1).
Mitchell is the first freshman to notch multiple 30-plus point/15-plus rebound games since Kansas State’s Michael Beasley in 2007-08, and he owns the top scoring and rebounding performances in the SBC this year. He is a finalist for the Lou Henson Award given to the NCAA’s top mid-major player, and is only the second player in SBC history to win three straight Player of the Week awards.
CBSSports.com ranked Mitchell as the No. 6 freshman in the country, and he is one of only eight players in the NCAA to post a 20 point/20 rebound game. His 10 double-doubles lead the Sun Belt.
No. 5 seed North Texas earned a bye in the first round of the Sun Belt Tournament and will face No. 4 Louisiana-Lafayette in Hot Springs, Ark. on Sunday at 6:15 p.m.
First Team All-Sun Belt Conference
D’Andre Williams (UALR, Sr., G)
Chris Udofia (Denver, So., F)
LaRon Dendy (Middle Tennessee, Sr., F)
Tony Mitchell (North Texas, Fr., F)
Augustine Rubit (South Alabama, So., F)
Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference
Will Neighbour (UALR, So., F)
Brian Stafford (Denver, Sr., G)
DeJuan Wright (FIU, Sr., G)
Josh Brown (Louisiana-Lafayette, Sr., G)
Marcos Knight (Middle Tennessee, Jr., G)
Third Team All-Sun Belt Conference
Malcoln Kirkland (Arkansas State, Sr., F)
Jeremy Allen (FIU, Sr., G)
Phil Taylor (FIU, So., G)
JT Sulton (Middle Tennessee, Jr., F)
Derrick Gordon (WKU, Fr., G)
Player of the Year
LaRon Dendy (Middle Tennessee, Sr., F)
Defensive Player of the Year
Chris Udofia (Denver, So., F)
Freshman of the Year
Tony Mitchell (North Texas, Fr., F)
Joe Gottfried Coach of the Year
Kermit Davis, Middle Tennessee
