By Dustin Dow
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Xavier's David West, left, and Kentucky coach Tubby Smith stand with the Adolph F. Rupp trophy following a news conference Friday in New Orleans. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

David West can't say anyone doubted his talents in the end. In fact, it's fair to say most college basketball writers know just how good the Xavier senior is.

"Yeah, I guess so," West said Friday after he accepted the Associated Press' Adolph Rupp Trophy, the sport's most prestigious individual award, voted on by a 72-member national media panel and presented to college basketball's player of the year.

The AP honor is West's third player-of-the-year award to date. He could double that amount by April 12 when the final postseason trophy, the Wooden Award, is presented.

Kentucky coach Tubby Smith won the AP Coach of the Year award, getting 58 votes and finishing ahead of Wake Forest's Skip Prosser, a former Xavier head coach.

Smith led the Wildcats to a 32-4 record and the No. 1 ranking in the final AP poll of the season. Kentucky's 26-game winning streak ended with an 83-69 loss to Marquette in the Midwest Regional final.

"This team played as a great group," Smith said. "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."

West finished with 30 votes and beat out Texas sophomore T.J. Ford (19) and Wake Forest senior Josh Howard (10). In addition to the trophy, which West said weighed about 40 pounds, the 6-foot-9 forward received a congratulatory letter from President Bush.

West learned he had won the honor a few weeks ago but was sworn to secrecy. He said it still seems a bit unreal that he's considered the best player in the nation.

"I don't feel it right now," West said from New Orleans, site of the Final Four and the AP's awards ceremony. "I probably won't until I look back on it later."

But he knows the significance of the award, which returns to Cincinnati for the second time in four years. University of Cincinnati senior Kenyon Martin won the Rupp Trophy in 2000. Bearcat Steve Logan finished third last season, when Duke's Jason Williams won.

West and Martin are the only non-Duke players to win the award in the last five years, and the only players outside of North Carolina and the Atlantic Coast Conference to win the award since 1996. No other Cincinnati players have won the award, which started in 1961.

"It's something to be very proud of," West said.

Winning the award can only help West's upcoming NBA draft status. The Rupp Trophy winner has been drafted in the top seven picks for 16 straight years. During that span, seven winners have been selected No. 1 overall.

West is projected as a mid-to-late first-round pick.

It has been an exciting ride for West, who was practically unknown when he arrived at Xavier in 1999. The recruit from North Carolina was passed over by all six major conferences.

"When you sign him, you never dream this kid's going to be a national player of the year," said Prosser, who coached West his freshman and sophomore years. "The first indication was when he was there for summer school (before his freshman year), and the older kids would come in and say, 'Wow, he's pretty good.' Players know players."

Before West, Xavier had never had a player get higher than the AP's third-team All-America. West led Xavier to 52 wins the past two seasons and averaged 20.1 points and 11.8 rebounds this season.When he called home to Garner, N.C., Friday, it wasn't the first time Harriet West heard about her son winning an award this season. He also has won:

• The Oscar Robertson Trophy, presented by the United States Basketball Writers Association to the player of the year;

•  Basketball Times magazine's player of the year;

• The Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Award for the third straight season; and

• AP's first-team All-America and the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-America honors.

"As usual," Harriett West told her son. "Congratulations."

West is a candidate for the Senior CLASS Award, which is presented today, and the NABC Player of the Year honor, given out Sunday. He picks up the Robertson Trophy in a ceremony Monday in New Orleans. Next Saturday he and Xavier coach Thad Matta will go to Los Angeles for the Wooden Award ceremony.

"I'm very happy he came back for his senior year" Prosser said. "It's almost storybook."

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E-mail ddow@enquirer.com

AP Players of the Year

2003 - David West, Xavier

2002 - Jason Williams, Duke

2001 - Shane Battier, Duke

2000 - Kenyon Martin, Cincinnati

1999 - Elton Brand, Duke

1998 - Antawn Jamison, North Carolina

1997 - Tim Duncan, Wake Forest

1996 - Marcus Camby, Massachusetts

1995 - Joe Smith, Maryland

1994 - Glenn Robinson, Purdue

1993 - Calbert Cheaney, Indiana

1992 - Christian Laettner, Duke

1991 - Shaquille O'Neal, LSU

1990 - Lionel Simmons, La Salle

1989 - Sean Elliott, Arizona

1988 - Hersey Hawkins, Bradley

1987 - David Robinson, Navy

1986 - Walter Berry, St. John's

1985 - Patrick Ewing, Georgetown

1984 - Michael Jordan, North Carolina

1983 - Ralph Sampson, Virginia

1982 - Ralph Sampson, Virginia

1981 - Ralph Sampson, Virginia

1980 - Mark Aguirre, DePaul

1979 - Larry Bird, Indiana State

1978 - Butch Lee, Marquette

1977 - Marques Johnson, UCLA

1976 - Scott May, Indiana

1975 - David Thompson, North Carolina State

1974 - David Thompson, North Carolina State

1973 - Bill Walton, UCLA

1972 - Bill Walton, UCLA

1971 - Austin Carr, Notre Dame

1970 - Pete Maravich, Louisiana State

1969 - Lew Alcindor, UCLA

1968 - Elvin Hayes, Houston

1967 - Lew Alcindor, UCLA

1966 - Cazzie Russell, Michigan

1965 - Bill Bradley, Princeton

1964 - Gary Bradds, Ohio State

1963 - Art Heyman, Duke

1962 - Jerry Lucas, Ohio State

1961 - Jerry Lucas, Ohio State

Draft-day hopes

Since 1986, when Walter Berry of St. John's was selected 14th, no Associated Press Player of the Year has been drafted later than the seventh overall pick. The list:

2002: Jason Williams, Duke (2)

2001: Shane Battier, Duke (6)

2000: Kenyon Martin, Cincinnati (1)

1999: Elton Brand, Duke (1)

1998: Antawn Jamison, North Carolina (4)

1997: Tim Duncan, Wake Forest (1)

1996: Marcus Camby, UMass (2)

1995: Joe Smith, Maryland (1)

1994: Glenn Robinson, Purdue (1)

1993: Calbert Cheaney, Indiana (6)

1992: Christian Laettner, Duke (3)

1991: Shaquille O'Neal, LSU (1 in '92)

1990: Lionel Simmons, La Salle (7)

1989: Sean Elliott, Arizona (3)

1988: Hersey Hawkins, Bradley (6)

1987: David Robinson, Navy (1)

1986: Walter Berry, St. John's (14)