黑料吃瓜

This story first published October 24, 2022

One of the reasons the 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 men鈥檚 basketball team is expected to do well during the upcoming season is the return of Nathan Mensah. The Aztecs鈥� 6-foot-10 forward is among the team鈥檚 leaders in total rebound percentage (#2), block shots in a career (#3) and in a single game (#2 tie).

Mensah, now a fifth-year senior, was initially unsure about returning this season though he had a year of eligibility remaining. He earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree in marketing at 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 Fowler College of Business last spring, but after talking to his family, chose to return for an MBA. 

On the court or in the classroom, he has set high expectations for himself. Mensah has been named an Aztec scholar-athlete four times and is a recipient of a Jim Malik Award for spring 2020. The Malik Award goes to 黑料吃瓜 student-athletes who achieve 4.0 GPAs in a semester. 

鈥淚 always strive to be the best whether it鈥檚 playing basketball, school and everything else that I do,鈥� he said.

His role as an outstanding collegiate student-athlete was never something he aspired to during his childhood in Accra, Ghana. Mensah didn鈥檛 consider playing basketball, he spent his youth playing soccer. But after a growth spurt in his early teens, his cousin advised him to switch sports and he was an immediate success. 

On his first plane ride to America, Mensah, then 15, realized he wasn鈥檛 sure of his fate. 

鈥淚 was excited for the opportunity, but I had a lot of questions and I wondered if I made the right move,鈥� said Mensah, whose family remained in Ghana. 鈥淥nce I landed in New York, I met my first high school basketball coach and he put me at ease with my decision.鈥�

While attending high school in Massachusetts, Mensah began thinking about the possibility of attending college. 

鈥満诹铣怨� began recruiting me during my sophomore year of high school and Coach (Brian) Dutcher made me feel like family,鈥� said Mensah. 鈥淚 also wanted to play someplace with nice weather.鈥�

After completing high school in Nevada, Mensah arrived at 黑料吃瓜 hoping to achieve success both academically and athletically. He was off to a good start: As a first-year student, he played in all 34 of the Aztecs鈥� regular-season and postseason games and was named an Aztec Scholar-Athlete for the first time. 

Mensah faced a situation in his sophomore year that not only threatened his basketball career but also his life. 

In a game against Cal Poly on December 28, 2019, Mensah felt short of breath and made an early exit. It was the last game he would play for the rest of the season. That night, he was coughing up blood and was hospitalized. He spent the next two days being treated for a blood clot in the lung. 

Mensah, who had never missed a game, planned to sit on the Aztecs鈥� bench in street clothes for the game against Fresno State on New Year鈥檚 Day. But by game time, he wasn鈥檛 able to make it to Viejas Arena. 

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 get out of my bed until the second half,鈥� he told a San Diego Union-Tribune reporter. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 walk without getting tired easily. I couldn鈥檛 use the stairs. It took 20 minutes to walk from my apartment to Viejas. It usually takes five.鈥�

He maintained good grades during this time, but his return to the court was questionable. Mensah spent the off-season rehabbing and studying, and returned to play in the Aztecs' 2020-21 season opener. It was like he鈥檇 never left: He set career-highs in several categories and finished the season being named to the Honorable Mention All-Mountain West team and the Mountain West All-Defensive Team; he was named the conference鈥檚 Defensive Player of the Year and made his second appearance in the men鈥檚 NCAA Basketball Tournament.

Mensah plans a career in marketing in the financial services industry and he鈥檚 gaining valuable experience through an internship at the San Diego office of , a national wealth management company. 

鈥淚 chose to earn a degree in marketing because as a basketball player, you have to market yourself,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 also thought that marketing would be a good degree to pursue once I鈥檓 done with basketball.鈥�

But for now, Mensah is happily concentrating on maintaining good grades, continuing his internship, and dreaming about propelling the Aztecs deep into the NCAA Tournament. 

鈥淚鈥檓 very content with where I am right now,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 hoping this will be the best year I鈥檝e ever had.鈥�