Natesan with pre-season accolades

6-foot-5 Gokul Natesan, out of Cupertino High, has been named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Pre-Season Defensive Player of the Year as well as a First Team All Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference honoree.

His school, Colorado Mines, was also predicted to win league this coming season.

"... Natesan, named the RMAC preseason defensive player of the year on Monday, earned Preseason All-RMAC honors ... Natesan's junior campaign saw him average 20.7 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.1 steals per game, earning him First-Team All-RMAC, NABC Second-Team All-Region, and First-Team Academic All-America as a junior in 2015-16. He owned a 2.2 assists/turnover ratio shooting 44.6 percent and 84.3 percent from the line with 84 three-pointers. His offensive output led Mines, including 19 20+ point games and two 30+ point outings, dropping 38 in overtime against Colorado Mesa and 34 in double-OT against Colorado Christian ..."

Here are the honors he earned after his junior year: "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 ..."