CINCINNATI --- David West, 6-9 senior All-American forward from Garner, North Carolina, has been named National Player of the Week by The Sporting News, ESPN.com, FoxSports.com and collegeinsider.com. Sports Illustrated’s web site (SI.com) put West on its weekly “Starting Five,” the top five players in the country based on last week’s performances. For West , a 2002 Associated Press Second Team All-American, these are his first-ever national weekly awards.

Sunday West was named Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Week for an A-10 record fourth straight week. West, a two-time selection as Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year, had perhaps the greatest single game in Atlantic 10 history when he led the Musketeers to an 85-77 win over Dayton on Saturday. No. 19/20 XU, 17-4 overall and 8-1 in the Atlantic 10 Conference, won its eighth straight game and snapped Dayton’s nine-game winning streak.

West netted a career-high 47 points and hauled down 18 rebounds versus the Flyers. He shot 15-of-26 from the field, 1-of-1 from three and 16-of-19 from the foul line. The 47 points were the second-most ever scored in an Atlantic 10 game and just four shy of the record of 51 set by Eric Riggins of Rutgers vs. Penn State (2/21/87). It was also the second-most ever by a Xavier player and just three shy of the school record of 50 set by Steve Thomas vs. Detroit (1/6/64). Thomas hit a school record 18 field goals out of a school record 34 attempts in XU’s 121-113 shootout win over the Titans that night at Schmidt Fieldhouse.

West began the week with a 13-point, 13-rebound effort in Xavier's 80-68 win at George Washington on Feb. 4. For the two games this week, West averaged 30.0 points, 15.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists.

This is West’s fifth A-10 Player of the Week award of the year and his fourth in a row. West has an Atlantic 10 record 12 Player of the Week citations for his career and is the only player to ever win four straight Player of the Week awards.

West, who is averaging 20.1 ppg. and 12.4 rpg. for the season, recorded his 62nd career “double-double” in scoring-rebounding on Saturday. He has now recorded 16 “double-doubles” this season, including each of the last nine straight games and 12 of the last 13 games.

West leads Xavier (#16 USA Today/ESPN and #18 AP) against Rhode Island on Saturday at noon at Cintas Center.