The Associated Press' 72-member national media panel on Friday handed the Tristate an April antidote to college basketball's March Madness when it named Xavier's David West AP player of the year and Kentucky's Tubby Smith AP coach of the year.

West is the first Xavier University player to win the Adolph Rupp Trophy, and also was top vote-getter for AP's five-man first team All-America. The AP All-America Team is generally recognized as the nation's official All-America team. West was the only member of the preseason All-America team who made the post-season team. Preseason honors made him even more of a target for opposing teams, yet he still averaged 20.3 points and 12 rebounds a game. He shot 51.9 percent from the field.

The 6-foot-9 senior led the Musketeers to a Top 10 ranking and a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament, where they lost in the second round to Maryland. West could have jumped to the professional NBA after his stand-out season at Xavier last year, but he had the smarts to come back for a final year of seasoning. "The No. 1 reason I came back was to get my degree," West said. "I'm grateful that coach (Thad Matta) pushed me."

West's national honors testify to the strength of Xavier's basketball program. The United States Basketball Writers Association and Basketball Times magazine already named West National Player of the Year. He made the USBWA, National Association of Basketball Coaches and Wooden Award first-team All-America teams, and he is one of five finalists for the Wooden Player of the Year Award.

University of Kentucky coach Tubby Smith was the runaway winner for AP coach of the year, with 58 of 72 votes. Former Xavier coach Skip Prosser, now of Wake Forest, placed second in the voting. Smith led the Wildcats to a 32-4 record, including a 26-game winning streak. He said of his players: "They functioned as one. That's the ultimate in coaching, getting everybody on the same page. They did that as well as any team I've ever been around."

NCAA championship aside, West and Smith made sure no one forgets this region remains a basketball stronghold.