Nathan Mensah
 Mensah in April 2023 | |
| No. 31 – Charlotte Hornets | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center / power forward |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 9 April 1998 Accra, Ghana |
| Listed height | 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) |
| Listed weight | 104.5 kg (230 lb) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
|
| College | San Diego State (2018–2023) |
| NBA draft | 2023: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2023–present |
| Career history | |
| 2023–present | Charlotte Hornets |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Nathan Mensah (born 9 April 1998) is a Ghanaian professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Known for his immense 7'4 ft. (224 cm) wingspan, he played college basketball for the San Diego State Aztecs.[1]
High school career
Mensah grew up playing soccer in Ghana. At the age of 13, he began playing basketball after being recruited to play in a tournament. Mensah was spotted by Kwaku Amoaku and moved to the United States to attend Prolific Prep. In August 2017, he averaged 13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game for Team Africa in the Adidas Global Nations event. Mensah transferred to Findlay Prep before his senior season. Rated a four-star recruit, Mensah committed to playing college basketball for San Diego State in October 2017, choosing the Aztecs over Oregon, Oregon State, USC, and Texas Tech.[2]
College career
As a freshman at San Diego State, Mensah averaged 5.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.[3] On 28 December 2019, Mensah requested to be substituted during the second half of a game against Cal Poly, due to shortness of breath. He was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism, forcing him to miss the remainder of the season.[4] Mensah averaged 6.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore.[5] As a junior, he averaged 8.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.[6] Mensah was named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year as a senior as well as Honorable Mention All-Mountain West.[7]
Professional career
After going undrafted in the 2023 NBA draft, Mensah joined the Charlotte Hornets for the 2023 NBA Summer League. On 5 September 2023, he signed with the Charlotte Hornets.[8] [9]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | San Diego State | 34 | 20 | 18.9 | .541 | – | .708 | 5.5 | .6 | .3 | 1.1 | 5.6 |
| 2019–20 | San Diego State | 13 | 13 | 20.2 | .617 | – | .640 | 6.8 | .3 | .8 | 1.7 | 6.9 |
| 2020–21 | San Diego State | 28 | 27 | 21.4 | .579 | .000 | .600 | 6.1 | .6 | .6 | 1.4 | 8.1 |
| 2021–22 | San Diego State | 32 | 32 | 24.8 | .482 | .250 | .533 | 6.9 | .6 | .8 | 2.2 | 7.0 |
| Career | 107 | 92 | 21.5 | .539 | .143 | .612 | 6.2 | .6 | .6 | 1.6 | 6.8 | |
Personal life
Mensah is of Christian faith.[10]
References
- ^ Wilson, Bernie (9 March 2020). "No. 6 Aztecs hope for rest, not rust, during long layoff". USA Today. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
- ^ Zeigler, Mark (4 October 2017). "SDSU lands another hoops recruit from Ghana". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- ^ Mintah, Yaw (23 January 2020). "San Diego's Mensah diagnosed with blood clots". Basketball Ghana. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- ^ Zeigler, Mark (17 January 2020). "Aztecs' Nathan Mensah has 'outside chance' of returning this season". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- ^ Johnson, Tron (10 November 2020). "Countdown Of The Best Mountain West Basketball Players For 2020-21". Mountain West Wire. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- ^ "Matt Bradley headed to San Diego State". Mountain West Wire. 13 April 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ "Mountain West Reveals 2021-22 Men's Basketball All-Conference Teams" (Press release). Mountain West Conference. March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
- ^ "Charlotte Hornets Sign Four Players". NBA.com. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
- ^ Zeigler, Mark (23 June 2023). "Undrafted, SDSU's Nathan Mensah signs deal with NBA's Hornets; many Aztecs foes picked". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
- ^ Zeigler, Mark (9 April 2020). "SDSU's Nathan Mensah remains on track to resume basketball career". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 21 October 2020.