KANSAS CITY, Mo. – LeTourneau University men's basketball's Nate West was named the National Association of Basketball Coaches NCAA Division III Player of the Year.
 
"This award means a lot to me because I know LeTourneau is not known to be your powerhouse school, and for me to be from LeTourneau and win this award brings a lot of publicity to my school and basketball program," West said. "Also, the amount of work I put in to receive this award is tremendous because I'm not a big, tall, athletic guy. A lot of my game is based off of skill, and the hours I have put in to be who I am on the court."
 
He is the first player from the state of Texas to win the award.
 
A 5-10 senior guard from Houston, West ranked fourth in NCAA Division III in scoring (28.6), first in total assists (208), second in assists per game (7.2) and second in triple-doubles (3).
 
He set school records for points in a season (830), points in a game (67), assists in a career (534), free throws made in a season (184), free throws made in a career (498), free throw percentage in a career (.856), three-point field goals in a career (361), three-pointers in a season (124) and steals in a career (182).
 
"To see Nate win the most prestigious award possible makes me and everybody in our program so happy," LeTourneau head coach Dan Miller said. "He is such an ambassador for our basketball program, university and the American Southwest Conference. He had a truly amazing career, but especially a special senior season. 
 
"What makes me so proud is, as great of basketball player he is, he is an even better person. He is so humble, and treats everybody on the team great and exemplifies Romans 12:10. One thing that's underrated about Nate is how tough he is. He only missed one practice in four seasons. This is an incredible honor for Nate and our program, and we are extremely blessed, grateful and so proud of Nate."
 
West led the American Southwest Conference in scoring and assists. He was named a First Team All-American. He is LeTourneau's first NCAA Division III All-American in program history.
 
"I want to thank everyone at LeTourneau for the best time of my life," West said. "It has been the most special experience I have ever had. Everything about the school is great, and most special of all is my team. Coach Miller teaching me and allowing me to do the things I did every game was a blessing. He taught me so much about basketball on the court and even life lessons off the court.
 
"The reason I decided to come to LETU in the first place was the atmosphere of the school, Coach Miller, and I would be close to my grandmother, who lived almost two hours away from the school. This experience was great. I just want to thank all my past teammates at LETU, who are my brothers. We all have made great memories together, and they will all be talked about forever. All these guys helped make LETU the basketball program we are today, and help me become who I am today. Most importantly, I want to thank mom and dad for allowing me to become who I have become today. Mom always keeping me on top of everything, and dad teaching me the game I love. Thank you everyone."
 
The NABC Division III Player of the Year award is sponsored by ShotTracker.