November 3, 2008
San Antonio – St. Mary’s University men’s basketball players Lorenzo Anthony and Nick Morey were named to the Heartland Conference preseason all-conference poll of coaches and sports information directors, it was announced on Monday. St. Mary’s was picked to finish third in the conference.
Anthony (Sr., San Antonio) was a first team All-Heartland Conference pick and Heartland Conference Defensive Player of the Year for the 2007-2008 season. Morey (Sr., Belpre, Ohio) was named preseason All-Heartland Conference after earning Heartland Conference All-Tournament honors last season. The Rattlers were one of just two teams to have more than one player earn preseason all-conference honors.
St. Edward’s University was picked to win the league title with 75 points and seven first place votes. The University of the Incarnate Word was picked second with 72 points and received one first place vote. 2008 Heartland Conference Tournament Champion St. Mary’s was picked third with 58 points. Dallas Baptist University was fourth with 54 points, Newman University was fifth with 47 points, Texas A&M-International was sixth with 35 points, the University of Texas-Permian Basin was seventh with 33 points, Oklahoma Panhandle State University was eighth with 18 points and Lincoln University was ninth with 15 points.
St. Mary’s finished the 2007-2008 season with a 17-13 record and won the Heartland Conference Tournament title. They fell to Tarleton State University in the first round of the NCAA South Central Region Tournament. The Rattlers will open the 2008-2009 season on Saturday, Nov. 15, when they travel to Pensacola, Fla., to face the University of West Florida at 5:30 p.m.