Former Indiana star A.J. Guyton joins Northwestern basketball staff

It might not have been on the recruiting trails, but Northwestern basketball made a splash on Tuesday. The Wildcats added former Indiana Hoosiers standout A.J. Guyton to its staff as a Director of Player Development. Guyton broke the news himself.

Guyton comes to Northwestern after spending last season as an assistant coach for the Windy City Bulls of the now-NBA G League. His coaching career began in 2010 as an assistant at Illinois Central College, and then from 2012-2014, he coached at Peoria High School, his alma mater.

Before that, Guyton excelled at Indiana. He was a four-year starter (1996-00) for the Hoosiers and was voted the Big Ten Player of the Year by the media as a senior. The accolades don’t stop there. Guyton was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, a three-time team MVP and first-team all-conference his sophomore and senior seasons. He finished his career fourth on the school's all-time scoring list with 2,100 points and holds the record for most three-pointers in program history.

"We're thrilled to add A.J. to the Northwestern basketball family," Collins said in a statement released by the program. "As a Big Ten Player of the Year, a first-team All-American, an NBA player and someone who has great character and integrity, he's going to be an amazing asset to our program and our student-athletes."

"I'm honored to be a part of Northwestern University and Coach Collins' staff," said Guyton in the statement. "To be on such an experienced staff with one of the best coaches in the country as our leader is a dream come true. The program has been trending upward since Coach Collins arrived and I'm just looking forward to contributing to the community and the University in any way possible. I'm truly grateful for this opportunity."

The addition of Guyton brings a familiar face to the Northwestern program. The Peoria, Illinois native has deep connections to basketball in Illinois. He was drafted in the second round (32nd overall) by the Chicago Bulls and played for them for two seasons. He went on to play professionally overseas until 2010, when he retired.