Busting Brackets
Fansided

San Diego State Basketball: Nathan Mensah commits to the Aztecs

By Tristan Freeman

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 10: A San Diego State Aztecs cheerleader performs during the team's game against the Colorado State Rams of the Mountain West Conference basketball tournament at the Thomas
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 10: A San Diego State Aztecs cheerleader performs during the team's game against the Colorado State Rams of the Mountain West Conference basketball tournament at the Thomas /
facebooktwitterreddit

San Diego State basketball’s coach Brian Dutcher has recruited several players with limited basketball experience. Will that risk pay off with Nathan Mensah?

With Brian Dutcher taking over for longtime coach Steve Fisher, eyes will be on the type of players he brings in. Famously known as a defensive juggernaut, San Diego State has always gone after players with a defensive mindset. However, it has come at the cost of poor offense.

For the past couple of years, the offensive mishaps have taken the Aztecs not only out of the NCAA at-large picture, but they finished in the middle of the Mountain West, which is uncomfortable territory for the Aztecs.

In the new era, Dutcher has received commitments already from three-star guard Jordan Campbell, who can put in buckets at a high rate. Next was Joel Mensah, a three-star forward whose athleticism makes him an intriguing prospect down the road.

The third and most recent, Nathan Mensah, is ranked by 247sports as the No. 224 prospect and some recruiting sites have pegged him as a four-star player. He started off as a relatively unknown player with just a few offers. But after playing well in several camps and international tournaments, his stock soared with multiple high-level offers. He ultimately chose the Aztecs over the Oregon Ducks.

While he’s not related to the other Mensah, Nathan and Joel both grew up in Ghana and have participated in countless events together, giving San Diego State an edge with the 6’10”, 210-pound recruit. What makes this a risk for the team is that Mensah has only been playing basketball for a few years, and it’ll take plenty of time for him to be comfortable playing in Division-I basketball.

Next: San Diego State 2017-18 season preview

But it’s a risk worth taking for the Aztecs, as they’ve had to go the grad transfer route for their bigs the past two seasons, with Valentine Izundu and Kameron Rooks coming in from Pac-12 programs. It’ll be a chance for the school to finally develop a big man of their own for a change.