Pops Mensah-Bonsu stood at center court at the US Bank Arena in Cincinnati with an ear-to-ear smile while kissing the Atlantic 10 basketball trophy two months ago. Elation was evident on the faces of the GW men’s basketball team on that night, but as they try to defend their title next season, they will be without the services of the 6-foot-9 forward, according to ESPN.
Mensah-Bonsu, along with teammate Mike Hall, announced his entrance to the 2005 draft on March 23. Initially, both players described the move as experimental and said they planned on returning for the 2005-2006 season.
But according to an ESPN report by Andy Katz and www.nbadraft.net, Mensah-Bonsu plans to stay in the June 28 draft and will officially sign with Seattle-based agent John Greig. Staying in the draft past the June 21 drop-out date and signing with an agent will strip Mensah-Bonsu of his remaining year of collegiate athletic eligibility.
Grieg did not directly confirm or deny the reports but said: “It is my belief that (Mensah-Bonsu’s) intention is to stay in the draft. I assume in any scenario there are possibilities that could change his mind.”
A former professional basketball player with the Seattle SuperSonics, Greig represents European player Kojo Mensah-Bonsu, Pops’ brother, and describes his reputation with the NBA as “sterling.”
GW men’s basketball coach Karl Hobbs and Mensah-Bonsu did not return phone calls seeking comment.
Greig claimed that his primary role with Mensah-Bonsu was to accumulate information regarding his status as a player to assist him in making a decision. The agent claimed that he did not have much influence on the decision that was made.
“Pops is 21. He’s an adult and a grown man,” Grieg said. “He’s an intelligent kid, and I’ve known him a long time. He has a very close-knit family with him, his brother, and parents. A group that is very capable of making very sound decisions.”
“I’m one of the good guys,” Grieg added. “I tell exactly the story and truth. I’m not trying to pull kids from school or set up a big smoke screen.”
Since rumors surfaced about Mensah-Bonsu’s draft status, Greig said he began to receive “three to four” derogatory e-mails a day. Grieg does not believe Mensah-Bonsu’s turning pro would be foolish, citing salary offers from European teams in the neighborhood of $300,000 to $400,000 if he is not drafted in the NBA.
As of Friday, Mensah-Bonsu and Hall were not on the roster for the Chicago invite-only pre-draft camp. Most draft insiders consider the camp a preview of the draft’s top picks, and the absence of both players’ names bodes ill for their draft prospects.
