Assignment of trample damage

[Fubar]

A P. Dreadnought attacks you when you are < 8 life.  You have only an Academy Rector & no relevant cards in hand.  Does the rectal abillity even occur? (thus giving you an "out" with the right enchantment in the deck)  Or does the (fatal) damage hit first?

[ProZachar]

Assuming that the Dreadnought player assigns lethal damage to the player (and, implicitly, the Rector), then, after damage resolves, state based effects are checked.  The Rector has lethal damage, so it's destroyed, and the player has 0 or less life, so he/she loses.  The Rector's ability won't even make it to the stack.

[Fubar]

thanx