When Bellevue Christian Vikings senior Ken West arrived on campus on the first day back from spring break on April 8, he was mobbed by a bevy of well wishers for an iconic achievement.

West, who announced on his Twitter feed on April 1 that he will continue his basketball career at Azusa Pacific University in Southern California, said the outpouring of support on his first day back in Clyde Hill was amazing.

“A lot of people were so happy for me. They were really excited, which was really cool to see. It felt good,” West said.

West is a unique talent on the hardwood. The 6-foot, 7-inch, behemoth can play a variety of positions on the floor due to his sheer size and shooting abilities.

“I will probably play the 3 (small forward) or be a stretch 4 (power forward) because I can shoot the ball. I’m really diverse and can function at different spots, whether it’s on the wing or posting up,” West explained.

Spending the next four years of his life in the friendly confines of Southern California appealed to West.

“I really love the location. I love the warm weather. It is a really good fit with coaches, teammates and the faculty. It is a school (Christian school) that has what I have grown up accustomed to. It is just a great fit for me. It will be fun,” West said.

West said he will move to California in late August. School begins Aug. 26 and the first day of basketball practice will be in the first week of September. The Bellevue Christian basketball star is thrilled to have achieved his goal of committing to a formidable Division II collegiate basketball program.

“I thought that I was a little overlooked and underrated at times because I was at a smaller school (Bellevue Christian is a Class 1A school). It felt good to prove my worth,” West said.

West also credited his AAU team, Friend of Hoop (FOH), for instilling him with an abundance of confidence on the court over the last few years.

“Playing for FOH was really good for me because I was playing with players who were better than me. That really pushed me to be better. I really got some good attention in the recruiting world from FOH because I was playing with and against some big name players. FOH was definitely a big part of my basketball journey,” West said.