Basketball's Pops Mensah-Bonsu Signed by Dallas Mavericks

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Aug. 4, 2006

DALLAS, TX -- Former George Washington basketball player Pops Mensah-Bonsu (London, England) has signed a free agent contract with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, the team announced Thursday. The terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Mensah-Bonsu is the second player from the 2005-06 Colonials' team to make the jump to the NBA. Danilo (J.R.) Pinnock was selected with the 58th pick in the second round of the NBA Draft on June 28, also by the Mavericks, before his rights were dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers.

"We are really excited about Pops joining the Mavericks," said President of Basketball Operations Donn Nelson in the team's official release announcing the signing. "His energy and attitude were the determining factors in this decision. He will bring added athleticism to our front line."

A 6-9 forward, Mensah-Bonsu played for the Mavericks summer league team at the Toshiba Vegas Summer League and the Rocky Mountain Revue, averaging better than eight points, five rebounds and one block, before being signed by the club.

Mensah-Bonsu helped lead the Colonials to a school-record 27-3 record last season and led the team in field-goal percentage at 56.4 percent (101-179) and blocked shots with 38. He became the first Colonial to lead the team in FG percentage all four years since Alexander Koul accomplished the feat from 1994-95 through 1997-98.

Mensah-Bonsu concluded his college career ranked 21st on the GW all-time scoring list with 1,308 points. He also ranked second on the school's all-time blocks list with 141. He also grabbed 676 career rebounds (6.0 rpg) in 112 games.

A preseason Wooden Award Top 50 candidate, Mensah-Bonsu was named to the NABC All-District 4 first team on Feb. 18 and to the A-10 All-Conference first team and A-10 All-Defensive team on Mar. 6.

GW (27-3, 16-0 A-10) is coming off the best campaign in the 92-season history of the program. GW concluded the regular season with a 26-1 mark that included a school-record 18-game winning streak. The Colonials won all 16 Atlantic 10 Conference games en route to the regular-season title and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 8 seed. The Colonials defeated No. 9-seed UNC Wilmington in the first round Mar. 16 before falling to overall No. 1 seed Duke in the second round on Mar. 18, in Greensboro, NC, as part of the Atlanta Regional.