Since 2015, Miles has only had two student-athletes even get an honorable mention spot on the All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men's basketball postseason team. But the Golden Bears have made a return in a big way this year.

The members of the Golden Bears basketball program were chosen to represent the league on the All-Conference team released today. Guard Avery Brown was named SIAC Player of the Year, guard Jelani Watson-Gayle was placed on the Second Team and head coach Fred Watson was the pick as Coach of the Year. The All-SIAC team and its award winners were selected by votes from the league's head coaches and media relations professionals.

Brown, 6-foot-3 junior from Clermont, Fla., was the top player this season for the Golden Bears with overall production that was not matched this season in the SIAC. He is currently fourth in the league in scoring (18.0 points per game) and fifth in field goal percentage (.513) and free throw percentage (.755). He also has averaged 4.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals as he was also named to the All-SIAC First Team. Brown scored in double figures in 23 of Miles' 25 games, including a career-best 30 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Central State, one of two double-doubles he had this season. He also hit a game-winning shot on the road at Tuskegee and earned one Player of the Week award this season.

Watson-Gayle, a 6-foot-1 junior from London, England, has been the top long-ranger shooter in the SIAC this season. Watson-Gayle leads the league in 3-pointers attempted (182), made (73), by percentage (.401) and per-game rate (2.9). But Watson-Gayle was dangerous all over the floor, averaging 15.1 points on 45 percent shooting from the field and 78 percent from the free throw line, 3.7 rebounds, two assists, and one steal. The 2018 SIAC Freshman of the Year was named SIAC Player of the Week twice this season. He scored at least 20 points in six games, including a career-high 29 points in a win at Kentucky State.

One year after leading Miles to the SIAC Championship, Watson's encore has been nearly as spectacular. This is his seventh SIAC Coach of the Year award and first with the Golden Bears. Miles won the SIAC Western Division title for the second straight year and established an impressive list of firsts for the men's program. The 21 wins gave the team its first back-to-back 20-win campaign in school history and a 13-game win streak was the longest in-season run in team annuls.This season, Watson earned his 350^th career win on Jan. 11 against LeMoyne-Owen and the Golden Bears earned a spot in the national Division II basketball poll, reaching 19th in the nation. Statistically, the Golden Bears the No. 1 defensive team in country, leading the nation in scoring defense while currently second in defensive field goal percentage and defensive 3-point field goal percentage.

Miles is back in action on Wednesday when it plays in the SIAC Tournament quarterfinals against a yet-to-be-determined opponent on Wednesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:15 p.m.