Whitko Senior Named Area Player Of The YearSOUTH WHITLEY – In all that he does, he works hard and puts forth a great effort.
That’s how Whitko High School boys basketball coach Eli Henson described 6-foot-3 senior River West.
Whether it’s in the classroom, in practice or in a game, Henson said West’s work ethic carries him.
“He’s a hard worker ... whether it’s in the classroom, at a job, on the court, he’s going to give you all that he has,” said Henson.
“A great work ethic is what you want from your leaders, and he doesn’t necessarily lead with his voice, but he leads by example. We have a lot of freshmen out here, so it’s good for them to see what it takes to get to that level, to get to be a player like River. They get to see what you have to do to get to that level, what you have to do in the offseason. That’s something I’ve really been impressed with, his work ethic.”
West’s heart and hustle, passion and desire helped him put together an impressive senior season, and after averaging 20 points, seven rebounds, two assists and nearly two steals per game he’s been named the Times-Union Area Player of the Year.
“He’s the kind of guy you can pass the ball to and say ‘hey, we need some points, go get us some,’” said Henson. “You have to guard him as soon as he crosses the halfcourt line. His range has expanded out past the volleyball line.
“That’s one thing we’ve kind of been working on is expanding his range because teams are doing a really good job taking him away in halfcourt sets. So we try to get the ball out in transition a little bit and try to find him and get him some easy looks. He opens it up for everybody else offensively. He’s doing a very good job of getting others involved. In the Southern Wells game he had 10 assists. He’s not forcing the issue at all, he’s still playing good, team ball.”
The first three seasons of his prep career, West had offensive juggernaut Nate Walpole as a backcourt running mate.
Walpole graduated last year after scoring 1,977 career points.
West put in the work in the offseason and improved his numbers this year. His scoring output went up. His rebounding numbers went up.
As Henson mentioned, West dished out 10 assists in a recent game.
In the regular season finale Thursday against Heritage, West accomplished something only two others in program history have done – topping the 1,500-point plateau.
Heading into this week’s sectional at Westview High School, West has scored 1,519 career points.
Only 2012 Whitko grad Logan Irwin with 2,230 and Walpole have scored more points in a Wildcats uniform.
“This year I’ve had a lot bigger role,” said West. “Nate was a heck of a player, he was averaging more than 25 points per game, and now I’ve been asked to kind of do what he did last year.
“It’s been kind of a big jump, but I feel like I’ve done alright with it.”
West is shooting 44 percent from the field overall, 41 percent from three-point range and nearly 80 percent from the free throw line.
In 24 games this season, he’s scored a total of 493 points, tops in the area.
West’s scoring numbers have gone up in each of his four varsity seasons, from 276 total points as a freshman to 371 as sophomore and 372 as a junior.
“I spent a lot of time in the weight room,” West said when asked what led to his senior season accomplishments. “I worked on my post game a lot, actually. I also worked on my ball handling and off-the-dribble moves.
“I spent a lot of time in the weight room ... that’s probably the biggest difference from last year.”
West said his earliest memories of basketball are from when he was 5 of 6 years old, as he played in a league in North Manchester.
He said he fell in love with the game immediately and that it’s been a big part of his life ever since.
West said he is being courted by a handful of schools, but is undecided where he will play collegiately.
West, whose interests off the court include baseball and fishing, is the son of Jerry and Lana West. He has two siblings, Dakota and Summer.
