University of Wyoming Men’s Basketball Team head coach Jeff Linder is confident Ghanaian center Nathan Mensah’s ability protect the basket can be translated at the highest level of basketball, the NBA.
He said this in the wake of Mensah signing a deal with Charlotte Hornets to play in the NBA Summer League after going undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft.
6 foot 10 inch Mensah starred for San Diego State University defensively during his time in college and played Wyoming in several games.
Mensah won the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player Award twice while averaging 6.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks as the Aztecs finished as runner up in the National Basketball Championship.
Speaking in an interview, Linder was confident Mensah can produce defensively in the NBA but would need to show more on the offensive end.
“Mensah is a guy that’s a tremendous college player, tremendous defensive player…his ability to protect the basket he can do it at a high level. It’s just a matter of from an offensive standpoint, can he do some of the things he’d have to do to play at that level. I’m just glad I don’t have to play against him anymore.”
Mensah is a 6 foot 10 inch player who has a 7 foot 4 inch wingspan who grew up in Accra.
Jeff Linder on San Diego State’s @Aztec_MBB Nathan Mensah — the MW Defensive Player of the Year. (Agreed to a deal with the Hornets)
“I’m just glad I don’t have to play against him anymore.” 😂 pic.twitter.com/rHsg8orjwT
— Isabel Gonzalez (@cisabelg) June 28, 2023
