by The back-to-back Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of New Mexico is officially a Grizzly. Kenyon Aguino, a 6-7 power forward, signed a University of Montana scholarship contract on Monday.
The forward has a proven resume, and his versatility will make him a potential contributor right away for head coach Travis DeCuire.
“One thing that’s hard to find in high school is a young man that has size, but he is physical, tough, and skilled at the same time,” DeCuire said. “We saw him in the summer kind of halfway through the recruiting period and he stood out. Coach Flores got aggressive with his recruitment, and it was a tough recruitment, but was successful for us.”
Aguino has helped lead Volcano Vista to three straight state championships, and averaged 22.7 points and 11 rebounds per game during his junior season. He was the state’s top player as a sophomore, averaging 19 points and nine rebounds while leading his team to a 29-1 overall record and a state title.
PrepHoops ranked Aguino as the No. 257 recruit in the country following the first three years of his stellar high school career. The forward can do a bit of everything with the scoring and rebounding standing out, but the playmaking and defense also at a high level.
He shot 64 percent from the floor and 47.4 percent from three-point range during his junior season.
“His versatility will be what stands out the most,” DeCuire said. “He can play a lot of positions on the perimeter, creates problems in terms of matchups because he can post up small players but also put the ball on the floor and drive bigger players, so it’s going to be interesting to see how quickly he adjusts for us.”
Aguino also excels off the floor with a weighted GPA of 4.33 through his first three years.
He is a member of the Ohkay Owingeh Native American Tribe. The forward doesn’t just get it done on the floor, but also volunteers to the Rio Grande Down Syndrome Network Buddy Walk and the Volcano Vista Youth Basketball Camp, giving back to his community.
Whether it’s his character off the floor, or his attitude on it, Aguino should be an excellent addition to the storied history of Montana basketball.
“I don’t know how often you have a chance to recruit a young man that could potentially win four championships and be a multiple time Gatorade Player of the Year,” DeCuire said. “I’ve always said that I like to bring guys in the program that expect to win every night, because that’s our culture, and when you get guys from losing programs you almost have to teach the attitude and it’s really difficult to develop. I don’t know anyone that has expected to win more than he has at that level, so it’s exciting to add to our group.”
