May 11, 2015

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The man who led the Bloomington Flex to two championships and more than fifty wins in three years will be returning to the bench as the team tours China for nearly three weeks beginning tomorrow on an exhibition tour with the Chinese Basketball Federation.

                    A.J. Guyton, who amassed a 52-5 record with the Central Illinois Drive and Bloomington Flex from 2012 to 2014, will take the Flex reins for the first time since April of 2014.  Guyton replaces Carlnel Wiley, Jr., who was hired in December as Guyton’s replacement.  Wiley is unavailable to make the trip, so Flex owner Scott Henderson contacted Guyton, who now serves as the Director of Player Personnel for the Midwest Professional Basketball Association, the league in which the Flex became charter members in late 2014.

                    “This trip is a great opportunity,” said Guyton.  “I hope these young players understand how fortunate they are to be in this position.  As aspiring professionals, this trip provides an opportunity to compete against other professionals, and perform in front of organizations and scouts.”

                    The Flex are scheduled to arrive in Shanghai on Wednesday, and then open play on Friday in Zhuji in a tournament that features a team from Serbia and two from the host country.  From there, the Flex will play against the Serbian team in Dafeng on May 17.

                    “The logistics of a trip like this are staggering,” said Henderson.  “Figuring out who is available to make the trip, doing the passports and visas in advance, corresponding with the Chinese Basketball Federation through an interpreter, travel, uniforms, itineraries, you name it, we’ve been working on it nearly around the clock for months,” Henderson said.

                    Following a free day in Beijing, the Flex will travel to Hubei on for a May 23 contest against their first opponent from the Chinese Basketball Association’s First Division, Zhejiang Chouzhou Bank.  The next day, the team will travel to Jiangsu to take on another First Division team, Nangang Dragons Nanjing.

                    “We’re eager to test ourselves against one of the top leagues in the world,” said Henderson.  “We were the only team in the U.S. at our level that was selected to go on an elite tour like this.  We’re hoping our players perform well enough to win games and impress the teams over there.  We want them to get noticed and land nice contracts for themselves in one of the world’s top-paying leagues.”

                    The team winds up the trip by traveling to Dezhou on May 28, where they will compete in a three-day tournament against the team from Serbia and the Shangdon Flaming Bulls, another CBA First Division team.

                    Following a free day in Shanghai on June 1, the Flex will return to Bloomington on June 2.

                    The team’s roster features a number of current and former Flex players: Justin Bocot, Matt Salley, Ray Miller, C.J. Hampton, Fabyon Harris, Carl Montgomery, A.J. Hardeman, and Nate Fuqua.  Added to the Flex roster are Harry Marshall, Tre Johnson, 2015 MPBA Defensive Player of the Year Darius Smith, and Bobby Simmons, who spent more than a decade in the NBA, earning 2005 Most Improved Player honors.

                    “China is one of the few places I haven’t been,” said Guyton, who played for the Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors before enjoying a long career overseas.  “I’m excited to have a chance to positively influence young players and be a part of this great opportunity.”