Xavier University Athletics
David West Earns The Highest AP Honor Ever By A Xavier Player
03.12.02 | Men's Basketball
West is only the second player in XU history to make one of the first three Associated Press All-America teams. XU all-time scoring leader Byron Larkin, who is now XU?s radio color analyst, made the AP third team as a senior in 1988.
West had already earned All-America honors from three other national organizations this month. He was named as a Second Team All-American by the USBWA (United States Basketball Writers Association) and a Third Team All-American by the NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches). He is also on the 16-member All-America team selected by collegeinsider.com.
West is the first Musketeer to earn a spot on the first three teams of any major All-America squad since then senior forward Tyrone Hill, who is currently a Cleveland Cavalier, was named Third Team All-American by Basketball Times for the 1989-90 season. Larkin was named Second Team All-American by both Scripps Howard and United Press International and Third Team All-American by AP.
West is averaging 18.5 points (first on the team and fifth in the A-10), 9.8 rebounds (first in the A-10 and 19th in the nation), 2.5 blocks (first in the A-10 and 19th in the nation), 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals a game this season. West is shooting an Atlantic 10-best 54.1 percent (185-of-342) from the field and 77.3 percent from the free throw line (eighth in the Atlantic 10).
The Xavier Musketeers, ranked 22nd in the Final AP Poll and 19th in the latest USA Today/ESPN Poll, enter the NCAA Tournament with a 25-5 overall record. XU plays Hawai?i, 27-5 overall and ranked nationally in both polls (#25 AP and #24 USA Today/ESPN), in a NCAA First Round game in the West Region in Dallas on Friday at approximately 3:00 p.m. Eastern time.
