Mensah-Bonsu's No Longer Raw, But He Is Rare

Pops Mensah-Bonsu's thundering dunks are just one part of his contribution for the Colonials. (Joel Richardson - The Washington Post)

Part of his appeal is the name -- Nana Papa Yaw Mensah-Bonsu or "Pops," as his parents took to calling him at a young age. Then there are his dunks -- rim-rattling, backboard-quaking throw downs that incite the crowd. Most of all, though, people are drawn to Mensah-Bonsu because, for someone who appears so imposing on the court, he is engaging and approachable, with an easy smile.

Other players on George Washington's men's basketball team are more skilled than Mensah-Bonsu, but none receives the same recognition. He is a fan and media darling.

"He's very charismatic," said his brother, Kojo. "People are very attracted to him, just being in his presence. He's always the center of attention. . . . The guy you know off the court is a lovable, sweet guy, but on the court, he's an animal."

Kojo, who is six years older than the 21-year-old Pops, was the first in the family to come to America to play basketball. He attended Laurel Baptist, then later Washington State and now plays professionally in Europe.

Mensah-Bonsu grew up in London playing soccer and running track. When he was 13, he discovered basketball at a London recreation center. There he met Joe White, who taught him the game and became a significant influence in his life. Mensah-Bonsu wears an armband over his biceps in every game to honor the coach who died from cancer two years ago.

"He's the one who got me really started and helped my brother out, too," Mensah-Bonsu said. "I always dedicate [each game] to him. That's what keeps me going."

When he arrived in America, Mensah-Bonsu was a spindly 6-foot-5 boy weighing 200 pounds. Then he went through a growth spurt during his junior and senior years in high school, growing four inches and filling out. His voice also dropped a few octaves to a rich basso profundo. His mom, Agnes, who hadn't seen him for nearly two years, was shocked by the dramatic change in her son.

"My mom almost fainted when she saw me for the first time," said Mensah-Bonsu, now 6-9 and 240 pounds.

Said Agnes: "He was so changed -- his structure, his height, his voice. . . . When I saw him, his hands were so big. He used to be very thin, but the first time I saw him I was so impressed. I thank the coaches. They really did well, built him up."

Because he was so underdeveloped as a player, Mensah-Bonsu went unnoticed by many college coaches when he was at St. Augustine Prep in New Jersey. Former GW assistant coach Kevin Broadus, who now coaches at Georgetown, remembers spotting him at a summer tournament in Philadelphia. He was there to recruit Omar Williams, who in fact did choose GW, but Mensah-Bonsu caught his eye.

"All I saw was this kid dunking everything, breaking the board down," Broadus said. "I had no clue who he was."

Since he arrived, Mensah-Bonsu has been a big part of the Colonials' resurgence and developed into a force underneath the basket. Although his shooting percentages are down (.565 field goal percentage, .580 free throw percentage) -- mostly a result of tearing ligaments in the fingers on his shooting hand against Michigan State and breaking his nose against Massachusetts -- his rebounding numbers are up.

"The thing with Pops is he's given us consistency," Coach Karl Hobbs said.

Mensah-Bonsu has worked hard at developing his all-around game because he is tired of people focusing solely on his dunking. The team's third-leading scorer at 12.4 points per game, he also has blocked 45 shots this season, moving him into fourth place on the school's career list with 102.

"A lot of people think I'm not skilled because I do dunk a lot," Mensah-Bonsu said. "There was actually a game where I went away from dunking the ball. . . . I shot a lot of jump hooks, a lot of short jumpers. There's more to me than just a dunk. That's what I'd like to see in the paper one day."

No player under Hobbs has made bigger strides since arriving at GW than Mensah-Bonsu, but that's in part because he was so raw when he arrived.

"His best basketball is far ahead of him," Kojo said. "He has a lot more to show."