SAN DIEGO – Senior Nathan Mensah, the reigning Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, has announced that he will return to San Diego State for the 2022-23 school year and take advantage of the NCAA's offer of an additional year of eligibility due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"I am very happy to get this announcement out of the way," Mensah said. "I really appreciate everyone at San Diego State giving me the time to make this very important decision. I have explored my options and after consultation with many people: my advisors, family, NBA scouts, general managers, and others, I have decided that to achieve my goals, the best thing for me is to return to San Diego State for one more year."
"We supported Nathan in his decision to test the waters and see what was available for him this year, but we think it is in everyone's best interest, especially Nathan's, to compete one more year with the Aztecs," Aztec head coach Brian Dutcher said. "We're very happy that Nathan has decided to come back for his bonus year."
Mensah was named the 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year by both the coaches and media who regularly cover the league and was a third team (media) and honorable mention (coaches) All-Mountain West selection. In addition, the Accra, Ghana native, earned inclusion on the league's all-defensive team and was a member of the 2022 MW All-Tournament Team.
His 2.2 blocked shots per game led the Mountain West and ranked No. 30 in the nation in 2021-22. In 32 games, he rejected 71 shots, which ranks as the sixth most in an Aztec season since the statistic was first compiled in the 1978-79 campaign. His 171 career blocks are the third most in SDSU history and rank No. 39 among all Division I players who were active last year. In addition, Mensah's career 1.59 blocks per game is the fourth highest among Aztecs who have at least 100 rejections and is more than half a block per game higher than San Diego State Hall of Fame member Michael Cage (1.05/game).
One of the premier defensive big men in college basketball, Mensah ranked No. 26 in the nation, according to Synergy Sports, in the fewest points allowed per possession (minimum of 230 possessions). In the same category, among just forwards and centers, he ranks as the No. 2 returning big man in the nation.
Mensah, who earned his undergraduate degree in business with an emphasis on marketing a few weeks ago and will pursue a master's degree in marketing next year, had a season-high five blocks in the team's Mountain West tournament quarterfinal win over Fresno State on March 10 and in 32 games had two or more swats 22 times, and in 13 of those 22 games he had three or more blocks.
Mensah is one of four players in the Dutcher/Fisher era, since the start of the 1999-2000 season, to compile at least 700 points, 600 rebounds and 100 blocks. The 6-10 center will begin the 2022-23 season with 732 points, 667 rebounds and 171 blocks in his career.
Last year, he was the only player who stands 6-10 or taller in the nation who had a game with at least five steals and four blocks (vs. New Mexico on Jan. 31) and since the 1996-97 season is just the second Aztec big to accomplish the feat (also Matt Watts vs. San Jose State on Feb. 27, 1999).
For his 107-game Aztec career, he has averaged 6.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, 0.6 assists and 0.6 steals per game.
In a career-high 32 games and 788 minutes in 2021-22, Mensah averaged 7.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 0.8 steals and 0.6 assists. Among seven double digit scoring performances, he recorded a career-best 19 points versus UC San Diego (Dec. 22) and had six double-figure rebound games. For his career, when Mensah scores in double figures, SDSU is 22-5, and when he grabs 10 or more rebounds, the Aztecs are 13-2.
Mensah joins Adam Seiko, Aguek Arop, and Matt Bradley, who have already announced their intentions to return in 2022-23, and with him the team returns four-fifths of its starting line up from a team that went 23-9 last year. In 2021-22, San Diego State appeared in the championship game of the Mountain West tournament for the fifth consecutive year and competed in the NCAA tournament for the second straight season. Last month, in each of their way-too-early-top-25, Seth Davis, Andy Katz and Jon Rothstein had the Aztecs ranked No. 22, No. 23 and No. 25 for 2022-23 and this was before Mensah's announcement.
In addition to the aforementioned returning trio, San Diego State is expecting the return of significant contributors Lamont Butler and Keshad Johnson, Chad Baker-Mazara as well as newcomers Jaedon LeDee, who sat out the 2021-22 season due to NCAA transfer rules, Darrion Trammel, a transfer from Seattle U., Micah Parrish, a transfer from Oakland, and freshmen Miles Byrd and Elijah Saunders.
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