NBA's loss is Xavier's gain

All-American West intended to turn pro, but returns instead

CINCINNATI (AP) -- David West was only a postmark away from the NBA.

The 6-foot-9 forward spent weeks mulling whether to stay for his senior season or become the first Xavier player to leave early for the pros. If he left, he'd probably be a first-round pick. If he stayed, Xavier would be a force. Tough decision.

Finally, he made it. Instead of drawing triple coverage from college defenses, the Atlantic 10's two-time player of the year wanted to see how he fared in the NBA.

West wrote a letter to commissioner David Stern, entering himself in the draft. He signed it, folded it into an envelope, attached a 37-cent stamp and left it in his apartment, ready for mailing once he took care of two matters.

First, he had to tell coach Thad Matta. Then, he had to let his teammates know at their annual basketball banquet.

When he walked to the podium on April 9, everyone figured he was clearing his throat to say goodbye. There was a hush as he started to speak.

Then, West told them he was ... staying!

"It was a complete shock," Matta said. "I had given David my blessing and told him we'd get him ready for the NBA. So to say I was shocked would be a complete understatement.

"As I've watched him work out for the last few weeks, I'm really glad he decided to stay."

West is back, and so is Xavier. The Musketeers are ranked No. 10 in the AP's preseason poll, their best starting point since they opened at the same spot in 1997. Xavier climbed to seventh that season, matching the best ranking in school history. West was the top vote-getter on the AP's preseason All-America team announced Tuesday.

If West had mailed that letter, Xavier would have been left with a solid team, but certainly not a Top 10 team. West was the focal point as the Musketeers went 26-6 in Matta's first season, winning the Atlantic 10 and their first-round NCAA tournament game.

With West around, they're expected to rejoin the national elite. That's one of the reasons he changed his mind.

"I think he knew what we could accomplish this year," said senior point guard Lionel Chalmers, who is West's closest friend on the team. "And, college is fun. I think that's what he was looking at."

The Musketeers have four starters back -- West (18.3 points per game, 9.8 rebounds), Chalmers (12 points, 4.2 assists), junior forward Romain Sato (16.1 points, 6.6 rebounds) and senior forward Dave Young (8 points, 3.6 rebounds).

Matta's recruiting priority was adding front-line depth so West could get away from the basket more than he did last season. He will be free to shoot 3's and score off the dribble.

"He's added some range and he's such a great passer that it makes him harder to guard and opens up things for other guys," Matta said. "Last year, everyone was concerned with where he was at all times. You felt for him at times, but he was still able to get things done."

In his first season as their coach, Matta totally changed the Musketeers' style. The players had been recruited for Skip Prosser's frenetic up-tempo game; Matta emphasizes half-court defense and a more deliberate offense.

The transition took time. Xavier was 5-3 after getting blown out by crosstown rival Cincinnati on the Musketeers' home court. A 12-game winning streak got the players convinced.

"Coach Matta's whole thing was trying to sell guys on it," West said. "He had to sell me first. If I showed that I loved it and it was going to work, guys would follow me. Now, because of the type of year we had, we want to absorb more because we know it works."

It wouldn't work nearly as well without West, who decided to stick around after a long talk with his best friend the night before the banquet.

"When making a major decision like that, you have to be definite in what you believe and what you're going to do," Chalmers said. "I had an idea that he wasn't ready to go yet."

West went to sleep with conflicted feelings. He woke up knowing what he had to do, and stunned his teammates and coach a few hours later.

"I realized I hadn't made the right decision," West said. "I told them I'd changed my mind, and that made everybody happy, including myself. It's the right thing for me, it's good for the program and good for my teammates. It's going to be another fun year."

The letter? A few weeks later, he tossed it in the garbage.

 

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