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COLORADO SPRINGS - Ahead of this weekend's RMAC Tournament finals, Colorado School of Mines senior Gokul Kobe Natesan has been named the RMAC Summit Award winner.
The award is given annually to the student-athlete with the highest GPA at the finals site for each sport's championship. Natesan holds a 3.90 GPA working on a master's degree in computer science. He has led #14/11 Mines to the 2016-17 RMAC regular-season championship and a berth in this weekend's RMAC Tournament semifinals with a 25-4 overall record.
It's the third major award this week for the Santa Clara, Calif. native after being named First-Team All-RMAC on Tuesday and CoSIDA First-Team Academic All-America on Wednesday. Natesan ranks fourth in the RMAC in scoring at 18.8 ppg, and adds 3.5 assists per game (13th), 2.0 steals per game (1st), and an .843 free-throw shooting clip (9th).
One of the league's best two-way players, he has notched 11 20+ point games including 33 at South Dakota Mines and 27 in the RMAC quarterfinals against Adams State, while also holding down the defensive end with his league-best steal total matching up against opponents' best shooters. Earlier this season Natesan was named to the final 50 watchlist for the Bevo Francis Award and was the RMAC Academic Player of the Year as well as CoSIDA Academic All-District.
Mines continues its season Friday, hosting the RMAC Tournament semifinals and taking on rival MSU Denver at 7:30 p.m
The award is given annually to the student-athlete with the highest GPA at the finals site for each sport's championship. Natesan holds a 3.90 GPA working on a master's degree in computer science. He has led #14/11 Mines to the 2016-17 RMAC regular-season championship and a berth in this weekend's RMAC Tournament semifinals with a 25-4 overall record.
It's the third major award this week for the Santa Clara, Calif. native after being named First-Team All-RMAC on Tuesday and CoSIDA First-Team Academic All-America on Wednesday. Natesan ranks fourth in the RMAC in scoring at 18.8 ppg, and adds 3.5 assists per game (13th), 2.0 steals per game (1st), and an .843 free-throw shooting clip (9th).
One of the league's best two-way players, he has notched 11 20+ point games including 33 at South Dakota Mines and 27 in the RMAC quarterfinals against Adams State, while also holding down the defensive end with his league-best steal total matching up against opponents' best shooters. Earlier this season Natesan was named to the final 50 watchlist for the Bevo Francis Award and was the RMAC Academic Player of the Year as well as CoSIDA Academic All-District.
2016-17: RMAC Academic Player of the Year ... RMAC First-Team All-Academic ... Bevo Francis Award watch list member ... Sporting News Honorable Mention Preseason All-America ... RMAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year ... RMAC Offensive Player of the Week (11/21).
2015-16: CoSIDA First-Team Academic All-American ... CoSIDA First-Team Academic All-District ... RMAC Academic Player of the Year ... D2CCA First-Team All-South Central ... NABC Second-Team All-South Central ... RMAC Defensive Player of the Year ... First-Team All-RMAC ... RMAC First-Team All-Academic ... RMAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year ... NABC Honors Court member ... RMAC Shootout All-Tournament Team ... Preseason All-RMAC ... RMAC Offensive Player of the Week (11/30, 2/29) ... RMAC Defensive Player of the Week (2/15, 2/22) ... Bevo Francis Award watchlist member … Started all 32 games … Averaged 20.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game … Led the RMAC with 2.1 steals per game … Owned a 2.2 assists/turnover ratio … Scored in double digits in all 32 games … Broke the 20-point mark 19 times and went over 30 twice, dropping 38 in overtime against Colorado Mesa and 34 in double-OT against Colorado Christian … Broke his own program record with nine steals against New Mexico Highlands, the third-most ever in RMAC history … Shot 44.6 percent overall and 84.3 percent at the line … Led Mines with 84 three-pointers … Scored his 1,000th career point against Adams State.
2014-15: Second-Team All-RMAC ... Capital One/CoSIDA First-Team Academic All-District ... RMAC First-Team All-Academic ... Averaged 15.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game ... Also one of the RMAC's top defenders at 1.8 steals per game ... Handed out five or more assists eight times ... Scored a season-high 25 three times, including in consecutive games against Chadron State and New Mexico Highlands ... Crossed 20 points seven times.
2015-16: CoSIDA First-Team Academic All-American ... CoSIDA First-Team Academic All-District ... RMAC Academic Player of the Year ... D2CCA First-Team All-South Central ... NABC Second-Team All-South Central ... RMAC Defensive Player of the Year ... First-Team All-RMAC ... RMAC First-Team All-Academic ... RMAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year ... NABC Honors Court member ... RMAC Shootout All-Tournament Team ... Preseason All-RMAC ... RMAC Offensive Player of the Week (11/30, 2/29) ... RMAC Defensive Player of the Week (2/15, 2/22) ... Bevo Francis Award watchlist member … Started all 32 games … Averaged 20.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game … Led the RMAC with 2.1 steals per game … Owned a 2.2 assists/turnover ratio … Scored in double digits in all 32 games … Broke the 20-point mark 19 times and went over 30 twice, dropping 38 in overtime against Colorado Mesa and 34 in double-OT against Colorado Christian … Broke his own program record with nine steals against New Mexico Highlands, the third-most ever in RMAC history … Shot 44.6 percent overall and 84.3 percent at the line … Led Mines with 84 three-pointers … Scored his 1,000th career point against Adams State.
2014-15: Second-Team All-RMAC ... Capital One/CoSIDA First-Team Academic All-District ... RMAC First-Team All-Academic ... Averaged 15.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game ... Also one of the RMAC's top defenders at 1.8 steals per game ... Handed out five or more assists eight times ... Scored a season-high 25 three times, including in consecutive games against Chadron State and New Mexico Highlands ... Crossed 20 points seven times.
2013-14: RMAC Freshman of the Year...RMAC Defensive Player of the Week (Nov. 25)...Appeared in all 30 games and averaged 9.3 points per game…Scored in double figures in 15 games…Scored season-best 18 points in 22 minutes against Nebraska-Kearney on Nov. 16, then matched that total in 21 minutes against Western New Mexico on Dec. 6…Hit multiple three-pointers in 12 games…Dished out 11 assists against Colorado Christian on Dec. 21…Season-best seven steals against South Dakota Mines on Nov. 23 and had five thefts in next game against Northwestern Oklahoma State on Nov. 29.
High School: Spent the 2012-13 season at La Jolla Prep Basketball Academy in San Diego, Calif., where he averaged 15.5 points per game. Averaged 23.1 points pergame, 6.0 rebounds per game and 3.6 steals per game while also knocking in 104 3-point baskets as a senior at CHS... Led the Contra Coast Section in scoring and was named the SCVAL De Anza Division MVP and San Jose Mercury New First Team All-CCS…Earned a Third Team Selection to the San Francisco Chronicle All-Metro Team and was named to the All-Tournament teams in the Cupertino Shootout, the Fukushima Invitational and the Fremont Holiday Tournament… Was a Cal-Hi Sports All-State Boys Basketball nominee and was named the CCS Athlete of the Week, the San Jose Mercury News Athlete of the Week and the Cal-Hi Sports Athlete of the week… Averaged 18.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game while making 75 3-point baskets asa junior... Was named the SCVAL De Anza Division MVP and San Jose Mercury New First Team All-CCS. In addition, he was named honorable mention All-Metro by the San Francisco Chronicle and earned All-Tournament team laurels for the same three tournaments as hissenior year... Natesan got his start Playing for the San Jose Hilltoppers Academy School for 9 years. Was also named the CCS Athlete of the Week and theSan Jose Mercury News Athlete of the Week as a junior… Was a four-year academic honor roll selection and a member of the National Honor Society and French Honor Society and was named the 2012 Cal-Hi Sports CCS Winter Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Career Game Highs
Points: 38 - vs. Colorado Mesa (OT) (12/18/15)
33 - at South Dakota Mines (12/10/16)
Rebounds: 9 - 2x, last at Fort Lewis (3/5/16)
Assists: 11 - vs. Colorado Christian (12/21/13)
3-pointers: 6 - 4x, last vs. Colorado Christian (2/26/16)
Free Throws: 17 - at South Dakota Mines (12/10/16)
Blocks: 3 - 3x, last vs. UCCS (3/14/15)
Steals: 9 - vs. New Mexico Highlands (2/12/16) (Mines record)
Minutes: 45 - vs. Colorado Christian (2OT) (2/26/16)
41 - vs. Colorado Mesa (OT) (12/18/15)
37 - 2x, last vs. Haskell (11/28/15)
Career Double-Doubles
12/21/13 vs. Colorado Christian (14P/11A)
Points: 38 - vs. Colorado Mesa (OT) (12/18/15)
33 - at South Dakota Mines (12/10/16)
Rebounds: 9 - 2x, last at Fort Lewis (3/5/16)
Assists: 11 - vs. Colorado Christian (12/21/13)
3-pointers: 6 - 4x, last vs. Colorado Christian (2/26/16)
Free Throws: 17 - at South Dakota Mines (12/10/16)
Blocks: 3 - 3x, last vs. UCCS (3/14/15)
Steals: 9 - vs. New Mexico Highlands (2/12/16) (Mines record)
Minutes: 45 - vs. Colorado Christian (2OT) (2/26/16)
41 - vs. Colorado Mesa (OT) (12/18/15)
37 - 2x, last vs. Haskell (11/28/15)
Career Double-Doubles
12/21/13 vs. Colorado Christian (14P/11A)
Mines continues its season Friday, hosting the RMAC Tournament semifinals and taking on rival MSU Denver at 7:30 p.m
