West

        David West is putting the team first. But not the national team. Xavier's junior center has withdrawn his name from the list of finalists for the USA's World Championship for Young Men team to rest an injured toe.

        “I don't want to risk jeopardizing the (Xavier) season,” he said.

        West hasn't healed completely from April surgery on the middle toe of his right foot. He aggravated the injury last month at the National Team Trials in Colorado Springs, Colo.

        “It is still swollen,” he said. “I don't feel like I'm completely healthy. I don't feel I can compete at the level I'm capable of.

        “The upcoming Xavier season is more important to me. I want to be completely healthy when we start practice in October.”

        West twisted an ankle Sunday in a Deveroes Summer Basketball League game. But he said that was unrelated to his decision to skip the next tryouts.

        XU coach Thad Matta told an ESPN.com reporter that West made the decision on his own, without any prompting from the XU coaching staff.

        West was among 45 players at tryouts last month and was one of 16 finalists for the team. The 12 members will be named during a training camp July 22-26 in Dallas.

        The 12-team world tournament will be Aug.3-12 in Saitama, Japan.

        West earned Atlantic 10 player-of-the-year honors, averaging 17.8 points and a league-best 10.9 rebounds while shooting 55.1 percent. His total of 20 double-doubles was the second-most in the country.

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