During the south central regional tournament, history was made as the West Texas A&M Buffaloes earned their first trip to the elite eight tournament in 20 years. WT this season also broke the record for most wins in a season, which heading into the elite eight, stands at 32 wins.

The senior guard was tabbed to the National Association of Basketball Coaches all-american team for the second consecutive time to add on to his already impressive resume. David Chavlovich made a three point shot early in the first half against Colorado School of Mines. When that shot went in, Chavlovich broke the Lone Star Conference all-time scoring record.

“The feeling is amazing,” Chavlovich said. “Like I’ve always said, It’s just something you dream of as a kid and words can’t even explain it. All these people were texting me, but I’m like a celebrity and I could’ve never imagined anything like this.”

Head coach Tom Brown has coached a national championship team at Winona State thus has talked about some of the great players he has coached in the past. For Brown, Chavlovich is right in the group of some of the best he’s ever coached.

“When you have a player like David,” Brown said. “ I mean I’ve coached national players of the year, and David is right there. Others vote on it (national player of the year), but when you have a team that is as successful as we are that’s 31-3 and you have a player like Chav, he’s going to get recognition or should get the recognition because of what we’ve done as a team and that is what David is, David is team first.”

Teammates will also speak in praises of how Chavlovich puts the team first and how he is able to show up in the big moments. As players also know, the ability to deliver in the big moments comes from the work you put in when no one is looking. WT director of athletics Michael McBroom says Chavlovich learned that at early in his career with the Buffs which helped him achieve this milestone and become one of the best athletes in WT’s history.

“We have so many successful teams here,” McBroom said. “David is one of the best of all-time to come through here. The ability to shine when the lights are on and playing in big games doesn’t just happen. David shows up to practice and practices his tail off everyday when nobody is looking.If you drop by this arena at midnight and there’s lights on, David is probably the one in here shooting.It’s the work you do day in and day out that allows you to have success when the lights are on and David like many of our athletes gets that, and he figured that out really early.”       

Of course, Chavlovich says he did not just do all this by himself. As the senior looks back to the beginning of his career, he remembers all the players past who gave him pointers and most of them are player he still talks with today.

“Going back years and years to Tez Dumars, Antjuan Ball, and Miles Gatewood,” Chavlovich said. “They have helped me so much. I still talk to Tez to this day and we were watching a game the other day and he was pointing out stuff I could do better, Miles was talking to me on twitter, and Jeff Bonner texts me. The support these guy have for me is amazing.”

Whether is memories in the past, what is happening now and whatever lies ahead, Chavlovich says there’s no place he would rather be than West Texas A&M.

“You are a Buff for life here,” Chavlovich said. “I’m glad I came here, I love this school.”