AOF Big Man NESCAC Bound
The NESCAC continues to mine the local New England area for scholarship level talent and the latest example is Bates landing a commitment from Avon Old Farms big man Kehinde Aruwajoye, who recently received his official acceptance into the prestigious academic school.
"It was awesome to see how excited Kenny was when he got the news the other day," AOF head coach Tim Roller said. "We couldn't be happier for Kenny. He is fortunate to be able to attend a school and program like Bates, but Bates is fortunate too. Kenny's not just a strong student-athlete, he's a terrific young man. I know he is looking forward to playing for Coach Furbush and getting a great education at Bates."
A native of Nigeria who has spent the past three years at Avon Old Farms, Aruwajoye also competed with the Connecticut Basketball Club in the Under Armour Association this past spring and summer.
The 6-foot-8 big man has improved by leaps and bounds in the last three years. He put on over 30 pounds of muscle in his first 16 months and now sports an upper body that is as massive as it is powerful. His skill set has come along nicely as well as he has decent touch for his size and an increasingly consistent ability to step away from the basket and potentially play alongside another big man.
Aruwajoye has all the tools to make an immediate impact for Bates and if he continuest to improve along a similar rate as he's shown in recent years could end up being a true steal at the D3 level.
"As much as he has improved, no doubt his best days as both a player and a student are still in front of him," Roller said.
Below are some of his highlights from last spring's Elite 75 Academic Experience.
Kehinde Aruwajoye