CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Liberty University senior Anthony Smith (Plano, Texas) has been voted the Big South Conference 2008-09 Preseason Men’s Basketball Player of the Year by the League’s Head Coaches and media panel, it was announced today at the Conference’s annual Basketball Tip-Off Media Luncheon at the Embassy Suites hotel in Concord, N.C.  Smith is the first Liberty player to be voted Preseason Player of the Year since Big South Hall of Famer Peter Aluma in 1996-97.

Smith averaged 16.0 points last year and was the only player in the nation in 2007-08 to attempt at least 200 three-point field goals and succeed on at least 40 percent of his three-point field goal attempts (41.0) and 50 percent of his field goal attempts (51.5).  He ranked in five Big South individual categories, including No. 6 in points, No. 5 in field goal percentage, No .4 in three-point shooting, No. 5 in three-point field goals per game (2.6) and No. 9 in defensive rebounds (3.9).  Smith set career-highs last season in scoring, field goal shooting, three-point shooting and rebounds (5.0) and helped Liberty reach the Semifinals of the Big South Tournament for the first time since 2004.  A 2005-06 Big South All-Freshman Team member, Smith broke Liberty’s single-season records in 2007-08 for three point field goals (84) and three-point attempts (205), while finishing with the fifth-best success rate from beyond the arc.  Smith, who is tied for 66th all-time in the Big South in scoring with 1,139 career points, received 10 first-place votes in the balloting and finished with 74 points to earn a spot on the preseason All-Conference team.

2008-09 Big South Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team

Anthony Smith, Liberty - Sr., G, 6-5, 215 (Plano, Texas)
Chavis Holmes, VMI - Sr., G, 6-4, 195 (Charlotte, N.C.)
Omar Carter, Charleston Southern - So., F, 6-5, 220 (Charlotte, N.C.)
Grayson Flittner, Gardner-Webb - Jr., G, 6-0, 190 (Sharpsville, Ind.)
Joey Lynch-Flohr, Radford - Jr., F, 6-8, 221 (Fairfax, Va.)

Holmes, who received five first-place votes and 61 total points, is the leading returning scorer in the Big South this season after averaging 18.3 points in 2007-08.  In League games, he increased his scoring output to 19.4 points.  He ranked second in the Conference last season in steals (2.4), was third in three-pointers (82), third in scoring (18.3), fifth in three-point percentage (.360) and 10th in free throw percentage (.703).  Holmes had four games with 25 points-or-more, and made five three-pointers in a game six times last year.  He averaged 21.9 points in his final 11 games of the season, and registered at least three steals in 11 of the final 12 Conference games a year ago.  Holmes earned Second-Team All-Conference honors in 2007-08, and is tied for 32nd all-time in Big South history with 1,384 career points.

Carter was the Big South’s Freshman of the Year last season after averaging 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds for the Buccaneers.  He was the first freshman in school history to lead the squad in both scoring and rebounding, and added a team-high 36 steals.  He ranked ninth in the League in scoring and was sixth in rebounding.  In League games, Carter averaged 15.8 points and 7.2 rebounds.  He scored in double figures in 25 of CSU’s 30 games last year, including a season-high 25 points twice.  Carter made a career-high six three-pointers against two-time defending National Champion Florida on Dec. 19.

Flittner averaged 15.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and made a school-record 107 three-pointers for Gardner-Webb last season.  He scored 22 points and had ESPN’s “Top Play” on Nov. 7 in the Bulldogs’ upset win over No. 22 Kentucky.  Flittner, who also earned 2K Sports College Hoops Classic Finals All-Tournament Team honors last year, averaged 19.0 points, 4.1 assists and 3.0 rebounds in five contests against Big South opponents.  He made 24 three-pointers in a four-game stretch in November, which included games vs. Connecticut and Oklahoma, and made at least four three-pointers in a game 15 times.  Flittner scored 34 points on nine three-pointers in a home win over East Tennessee State and was named ESPN’s College Game Night’s “Big Man On Campus” following that effort.

Lynch-Flohr enjoyed a breakout season for the Highlanders last season, as he averaged 11.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and shot .535 percent from the floor.  He scored in double figures 19 times and recorded six double-doubles, which was fourth-best in the Big South.  Lynch-Flohr led Radford in rebounding 17 times and shot better than 60 percent from the field in 11 games.  In Big South games, he increased his averages to 12.1 points and 7.3 rebounds, while shooting .528 percent.  In his freshman season of 2007-08, Lynch-Flohr averaged 2.9 points and 1.9 rebounds in 30 games for the Highlanders.