Photo courtesy of Rodrigo Zanotto/Especial para AAN


SAN ANTONIO (June 20, 2012) -- Ricardo Zanini, a graduate of Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) and a three-year member of the Saints Men's Basketball team that won the Red River Athletic Conference last season, has signed on to play in the Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB), the Brazilian premier professional men's basketball league. The NBB, organized by the Liga Nacional de Basquete (LNB), is managed by 19 Brazilian basketball associations, all LNB founding members.

Zanini, a native of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, was signed by Franca B.C., which in 2010-2011, reached the finals and last year, the quarterfinals.

Zanini joined the OLLU Saints in their inaugural season after transferring from Howard College. During the Saints' first year, they were the conference's co-champions and reached the conference tournament  quarterfinals. Zanini led the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (0.519) that year.

In the 2010-2011 season, the Saints finished third in the conference and reached the conference tournament semifinals. Zanini was named to the All-Conference Honorable Mention Team and he received the University's Jack Hank Hustle Award.

This past season, the Saints were crowned the conference champions with a 22-3 record. The Saints received an automatic bid to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Division I Men's Basketball National Championship Tournament in Kansas City, Mo. After beating Baker University in the first round, the Saints went on to the Sweet 16 round, where they lost to Biola University in overtime. Last year, Zanini once again made the All-Conference Honorable Mention Team, as well as the Conference All-Tournament Team.

Zanini was an Scholar Athlete all three years at OLLU. He received a Bachelor of Business in Marketing.

"The time I spent in the United States was a phenomenal experience," said Zanini. "The way we played, up-tempo style, helped me evolve my own technique, and I look forward to contributing to the Franca team here in Brazil."