The fact that David West is back at Xavier University this fall comes as a surprise to many college basketball observers, but it fits. West is an amalgam of small surprises folded into a 6-foot-9 package.

He's a ferocious rebounder with a collection of stuffed animals he's won playing games at carnivals and fairs. He was perhaps the world's tallest high-school tuba player. He's one of the more decorated college players in America, but the walls of his apartment feature more African art than trappings of basketball glory.

He's been considered a potential NBA player since shortly after he arrived at Xavier, but he came back for his senior season. A day after telling his coach he was gone.

That was the biggest stunner yet from West. Having already informed Thad Matta that he would forego his final year of college eligibility and enter the draft, West stood up at the Musketeers' banquet and told his surprised teammates -- and flabbergasted coach -- that he was coming back.

Turns out that after sleeping on the decision and mulling it over through the day, West had a change of heart.

In an era where young players view college as, at best, a necessary short-term evil, West has gone the distance. And even enjoyed it. He has a freshly planted "X" tattoo on his left shoulder to demonstrate his loyalty to his school.

	A 'point center'? That's what one A-10 coach called David West after watching his all-around skills.

"Xavier has been the best place for me," West said simply.

There's some writing around the tat, too. It reads "My Life, My Way." That's basically the explainer for all the contradictions that go into West's makeup.

Whether it's playing the tuba or collecting teddy bears, the introspective New Jersey native isn't going to live his life according to someone else's stereotype.

"I'm going to do things now that will be the way I feel they should go," West told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "It's my life in the end. Nobody has to walk in my shoes. Nobody has to do what I do but me."

What he does for the Musketeers is what makes them a national title contender, despite coming from outsider territory in the Atlantic 10. And it's what earns him a spot on ESPN.com's Tough Squad.

Despite often being the lone ranger inside and the primary focus of the opposition's defense, West has answered the bell every single time. The 240-pound power forward has started all 94 games in his Xavier career and scored in double figures 56 out of his last 59 games.

"I'm just a competitor," West said. "You have to have a competitive attitude going into every game and concentrating on outworking the other team.

"You don't want to back down from anybody. Give them your best shot, and they're going to give you their best shot. I like to get in there and mix it up every chance I get."

In a program that has produced an outsized share of excellent big men -- Tyrone Hill, Derek Strong, Brian Grant, Aaron Williams -- West could be the best.

He's been a walking double-double since he walked on campus. West averaged 11.7 points and 9.1 rebounds as a freshman (when the Musketeers went 21-12); 17.8 points and 10.9 rebounds as a sophomore (when they went 21-8); and 18.3 points and 9.8 rebounds as a junior (when they went 25-5).

At his current pace, West could end up Xavier's No. 2 all-time scorer and No. 3 all-time rebounder. Barring injury, the two-time Atlantic-10 Player of the Year is a lock to become the all-time leader in blocked shots and games started. "We're going to be paying to watch that kid play ... in NBA cities," Marquette coach Tom Crean said. "I think he's a tremendous player. The first adjective I'd give him is, 'tough.'"

	“	I'm just a competitor ...You don't want to back down from anybody. Give them your best shot, and they're going to give you their best shot. I like to get in there and mix it up every chance I get. ”
		— David West, Xavier senior forward

Already blessed with great quickness and body control, West's shooting touch and post moves have improved every season. Last year he hit a stellar 54 percent from the field and 77 percent from the foul line, plus a respectable 31 percent from 3-point range. Prior to last season he hadn't made a 3-pointer in college and had only attempted one.

He's added 35 pounds of muscle since arriving, now sporting a body the buffed crosstown Cincinnati Bearcats would approve of.

His court vision, dexterity and unselfishness led St. Joseph's coach Phil Martelli to declare West a "point center," perhaps the first such animal in the college game. To back it up, West recorded a triple-double last year against LIU-Brooklyn, racking up 15 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in only 30 minutes of play.

He averaged an exhausting 34.2 minutes per game last year, yet took just 11.4 shots per game. You want a team player? West has only attempted 20 field goals in a game once in his college career, and has only taken more than 15 shots four times.

That's why, when you ask him for a career highlight, West responds with a team accomplishment.

"Winning the Atlantic 10 championship," he said. "There were seniors on this team who waited four years to win one."

Last year the Musketeers won both the A-10 regular season and league tournament. The tourney title was Xavier's first since 1998, and the outright regular-season title was its first in seven years with the league.

X then took a step forward in the Big Dance as well, beating Hawaii in the first round and losing to eventual Final Four team Oklahoma in the second. It was the school's first NCAA Tournament win since 1997.

This year, since David West pulled his last and largest surprise by coming back to Xavier, the bar is set even higher. Would you believe a former tuba player calling the tune as the Musketeers danced all the way to the Final Four?

Pat Forde of the Louisville Courier-Journal is a regular contributor to ESPN.com