BEST of the WEEK | Feb. 9 | Awards based on games from Monday-Sunday

	West

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: David West, Xavier
A candidate for my All-Rolls Royce team, center David West showed last week why he's one of the premier big men in America.

After posting a double-double against George Washington (13 points, 13 rebounds, plus five assists), West put on a dominant show against Dayton in a battle for first place in the Atlantic 10 West.

The Xavier star scored 47 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in the victory over the Flyers.

TEAM OF THE WEEK: Michigan State
Coach Tom Izzo's Spartans appeared to be on the ropes, falling to 10-8 after a loss to Michigan. Now they have a pulse after three straight wins.

Two of those came last week against tough competition. Michigan State rallied to beat Illinois 68-65. Then Izzo's troops came through at Bloomington, handing Indiana its fifth straight loss. That also gave Michigan State a sweep over the Hoosiers in the season series.

This award was not an easy call this week, as schools like Virginia and Virginia Tech were among the other contenders.

COACH OF THE WEEK: Tubby Smith, Kentucky
Remember how lots of Kentucky fans were upset after the loss to Louisville? All the Wildcats did was roll up their sleeves and improve their defense under the leadership of Tubby Smith. This team personifies the personality of its coach.

Just look at the way Kentucky came out in both of its SEC games last week. There was never any doubt as the Wildcats raced out to big leads in routs over Florida and Mississippi, the latter coming on the road in a difficult place to play.

This Kentucky squad has the depth and talent to make a run at the national championship. The defense is stifling, and you will hear more from this team in March Madness.

DIAPER DANDY OF THE WEEK: Paul Davis, Michigan State
Forward Paul Davis came to East Lansing with impressive credentials, but it has taken time for him to live up to his billing. He came through with a pair of solid performances last week.

He had 15 points, eight rebounds and five steals against the Illini. Then came his breakout game, with a career-high 21 points (7-of-9 field goals) and nine boards in a victory at Indiana.

SHOCK OF THE WEEK: Virginia Tech over Connecticut and St. John's
Give coach Ricky Stokes a lot of credit, as the Hokies are capable of making some noise in the Big East. This is a program that really wants to make it to Madison Square Garden to compete in the Big East tournament.

Virginia Tech took two big steps toward that goal. First came a Blowout City win over a ranked Connecticut team. Winning is one thing, but the 21-point margin was shocking. Then came a Big East road game, usually an L for sure, especially at St. John's. The Red Storm already had a win at Blacksburg, but Tech came through with a 17-point win at Alumni Hall.