By Dustin Dow
The Cincinnati Enquirer

His college career is over, but David West isn't done making history at Xavier University.

Thursday, he became Xavier's first Associated Press first-team All-American, and as he did in the preseason, received the most votes for the five-man team. Seniors Nick Collison of Kansas and Josh Howard of Wake Forest, Marquette junior Dwyane Wade and Texas sophomore T.J. Ford joined West on the team.

"It's one of the things I set out to do at the beginning of the season," West said. "You set goals, and you want to reach them."

West received 64 first-places votes and 344 total points from the 72-member national media panel that votes on the weekly AP Top 25. Ford actually received two more first-place votes than West, but voters place players on first, second or third teams with a 5-3-1 scoring system. Ford had 343 total points.

West can add the most prestigious individual accolade to his name if he is selected as the AP Player of the Year, which is announced today in New Orleans along with the formal introduction of the All-America team.

In a year of firsts for West and XU, the AP honor is the most significant, because the AP All-America Team is generally recognized as the official All-America team.

"It's a great testimonial for David," Xavier athletic director Mike Bobinski said. "Having someone achieve something like that sends a message about the quality of the program."

The United States Basketball Writers Association and Basketball Times magazine have already named West National Player of the Year, a first in Xavier history. He has made the USBWA, National Association of Basketball Coaches and Wooden Award first-team All-America teams and is one of five finalists for the Wooden Player of the Year Award.

An unheralded freshman in 1999, West turned himself into one of Xavier's best post players by his junior season. West returned to Xavier for his senior season and left his mark in the XU history books. Before the season, he said he wanted to be compared to past XU low-post greats Tyrone Hill, Derek Strong and Brian Grant. Based on his accolades, West is beyond comparison.

"I guess I'm one of the top guys that came in and took care of business," West said.

He didn't take his team as deep in the NCAA Tournament as Hill or Strong, and he didn't score as many points as Byron Larkin, but he has gained more national exposure than any Xavier player. This weekend, he is in New Orleans to receive the AP award, the USBWA award and possibly the Senior CLASS and NABC Player of the Year awards. Next weekend, West and Xavier coach Thad Matta will be in Los Angeles for the Wooden Award ceremony.

West became the first XU player to make the AP Preseason All-America team this season. He lived up to that honor by averaging 20.1 points and 11.8 rebounds a game and leading Xavier to a No. 12 ranking in the final AP poll. He is the only member of the preseason team to make the postseason team.

"That says something, too, when you come in with such high expectations," Bobinski said. "He ... performed at a high level all year."

In the process of earning All-America honors, West won his third straight Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Award as Xavier won the A-10 regular-season title with a 15-1 record (26-6 overall). Then Xavier retired West's No. 30 jersey before his final home game March 8.

The season ended in disappointment for Xavier with a second-round loss to Maryland in the NCAA Tournament. Making the AP team makes up for a little of that empty feeling West had after the final game.

"I'm able to get these awards and get some recognition for my teammates," West said.

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E-mail ddow@enquirer.com

First-team All-Americans

David West, Xavier, forward, 6-9, 232, senior, Teaneck, N.J., 20.3 ppg, 12.0  rpg, 51.9 fg pct, 36.7 minutes (64 first-place votes, 344 points).

T.J. Ford, Texas, guard, 5-10, 165, sophomore, Houston, 15.0 ppg, 7.5  apg, 2.0 steals (66, 343).

Josh Howard, Wake Forest, forward, 6-6, 203, senior, Winston-Salem, N.C., 20.0 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.0 steals (47, 303).

Nick Collison, Kansas, forward, 6-9, 255, senior, Iowa Falls, Iowa, 18.4 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 53.8 pg pct, 1.8 blocks (42, 281).

Dwyane Wade, Marquette, guard, 6-4, 210, junior, Oak Lawn, Ill., 21.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 4.1 apg, 2.2 steals (43, 273).

Select company

David West is one of nine players from Cincinnati, Xavier or Miami to be named first-, second- or third-team All-America by the Associated Press since 1986. The list:

First team
Danny Fortson (UC), 1997
Steve Logan (UC), 2002
Kenyon Martin (UC), 2000
David West (Xavier), 2003
Second team
Danny Fortson (UC), 1996
Ron Harper (Miami), 1986
Wally Szczerbiak (Miami), 1999
David West (Xavier), 2002
Third team
Byron Larkin (Xavier), 1988
Pete Mickeal (UC), 2000
Nick Van Exel (UC), 1993

All-America Teams

SECOND TEAM

Hollis Price, Oklahoma, 6-1, 170, senior, New Orleans, 19.5 ppg, 44.4 3-pt fg pct, 93.4 ft pct (36, 261).

Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse, 6-8, 220, freshman, Baltimore, 22.7 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 36.4 minutes (19, 203).

Kyle Korver, Creighton, 6-7, 210, senior, Pella, Iowa, 17.7 ppg, 6-3 rpg, 3.0 apg, 47.7 3-pt fg pct, 90.7 ft pct (5, 133).

Troy Bell, Boston College, 6-1, 183, senior, Minneapolis, 25.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.8 apg, 40.0 3-pt fg pct, 2.3 steals, 38.6 minutes (4, 120).

Jason Gardner, Arizona, 5-10, 181, senior, Indianapolis, 14.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.9 apg, 1.9 steals (7, 113).

THIRD TEAM

Brian Cook, Illinois, 6-10, 240, senior, Lincoln, Ill., 20.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg, (6, 112).

Reece Gaines, Louisville, 6-6, 205, senior, Madison, Wis., 17.7 ppg, 5.0 apg (1, 85).

Kirk Hinrich, Kansas, 6-3, 190, senior, Sioux City, Iowa, 17.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.6 apg, 2.0 steals, 42.4 3-pt fg pct (2, 84).

Keith Bogans, Kentucky, 6-5, 213, senior, Alexandria, Va., 16.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg (4, 74).

Ron Slay, Tennessee, 6-8, 240, senior, Nashville, Tenn., 21.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg (3, 68).

HONORABLE MENTION (In alphabetical order)
Mario Austin, Mississippi State
Marcus Banks, UNLV
Steve Blake, Maryland
Brett Blizzard, North Carolina-Wilmington
Matt Bonner, Florida; Jermaine Boyette, Weber State
Gregory Burks, Prairie View AM
Torrey Butler, Coastal Carolina
Matt Carroll, Notre Dame
Donald Cole, Sam Houston State
Taylor Coppenrath, Vermont Ike Diogu, Arizona State
Ruben Douglas, New Mexico
Luis Flores, Manhattan
Branduinn Fullove, UC Santa Barbara
Antonio Gates, Kent State Willie Green, Detroit
Jermaine Hall, Wagner
Jarvis Hayes, Georgia
Mike Helms, Oakland, Mich.
Dahntay Jones, Duke
Chris Kaman, Central Michigan
Brandin Knight, Pittsburgh
Ricky Minard, Morehead State
James Moore, New Mexico State
Jameer Nelson, Saint Joseph's
Emeka Okafor, Connecticut
Ugonna Onyekwe, Pennsylvania
Kirk Penney, Wisconsin
Luke Ridnour, Oregon.
Quinton Ross, Southern Methodist
Joe Shipp, California
Adam Sonn, Belmont
Blake Stepp, Gonzaga
Mike Sweetney, Georgetown
Chris Thomas, Notre Dame
Luke Walton, Arizona
Patrick Whearty, Holy Cross
Troy Wheless, College of Charleston
Ron Williamson, Howard.