(October 15, 2008)--The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team is picked to successfully defend its American Southwest Conference West Division championship in the league's annual Preseason Coaches and Media Poll. The Cru picked up 18 first-place votes and totaled 183 points in balloting of West Division coaches, sports information directors and media representatives.

Concordia Texas is picked to finish second with three first-place votes and 168 total points. Howard Payne University took one first-place vote and 126 total points for third place, McMurry University is fifth with 111 total points, Hardin-Simmons University is picked fifth after taking one first-place vote and 107 total points. Sul Ross State took the other first-place vote and 82 total points for sixth place. Texas Lutheran is the coaches' pick for seventh place with 48 total points and Schreiner is picked to finish eighth with 38 total points.

Cru wing Tilmon Gaddy was also voted ASC West Division Preseason
Player of the Year in that balloting. Gaddy, a senior from Harker Heights High School, averaged 14.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game last
season. He was named ASC Tournament Most Valuable Player and also earned ASC West Division newcomer of the Year honors last season. Gaddy was also voted Small College Player of the Year by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches.

Defending ASC East Division champion Mississippi College was
picked to win the East again with 19 first-place votes and 145 total
points. Louisiana College senior forward Josh Johnson was named ASC East Division Preseason Player of the Year.

The Cru went 26-4 overall and 19-2 in ASC play last season and UMHB won its first ASC Championships. UMHB advanced to the NCAA Division III National Championships for the second straight year and advanced to the second round before falling to Millsaps College 57-56. The Cru returns 11 lettermen and three starters from that team this season. The UMHB men will tip-off the 2008-09 season with an exhibition game at U.T.-San Antonio on November 6th.