Wednesday Where Are They Now?: AJ Guyton

Ever wonder what happened to those college stars that couldn't catch on in the NBA? The guys that put up the great numbers or the guys that left early, and were never heard from again? Every Wednesday, we at BIAH will take a look at a former college star that never made it in the NBA, and we will update you on where he is playing or what he is doing. We're guessing the results will surprise you. To request a player, leave a comment in the comments section.

AJ GUYTON, INDIANA

AJ Guyton was a relatively unheralded recruit when he arrived in Bloomington as a freshman. 6'1" scorers are a dime a dozen at this level, and he wasn't even the best recruit at that position Bobby Knight landed in his 1996 recruiting class - Michael Lewis, who led the state of Indiana in scoring as a senior, was brought in to run the point.

(photo credit: Herald Times Online)

But Guyton made his presence felt immediately, as he was second on the team in scoring at 13.6 ppg en route to a Big Ten freshman of the year award. He became just the eighth Hoosier to notch 400 points, 100 assists, and 100 rebounds in a single season, and just the second freshman (along with Isiah Thomas - ever heard of him?).

As a sophomore, Guyton solidified his status as one of the best shooters in the country, knocking down 44% of his three's while averaging a solid 16.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, and 3.7 apg, enough to earn him 1st team all Big Ten honors. His junior season was more of the same, as Guyton averaged 16.0 ppg while hitting on 41% of this three's.

Some people expected Guyton to head to the NBA after his junior campaign due to the fact that Indiana's program was going through some turmoil. Luke Recker had just become the third McDonald's all-american to transfer out of the school during Guyton's playing days, the Hoosiers had not made it out of the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament in five seasons (and were coming off their best finish in the Big Ten with Guyton - a third place tie at 9-7), and the University was getting fed up with Bobby Knight's act.

But with Recker leaving, Guyton realized he would have a chance to show the NBA what he could do as "the man", and didn't disappoint. As a senior, Guyton scored 19.7 ppg while hitting 46% from the floor and 42% from three. He was not only named Big Ten player of the year, but he was also a 1st team all-american.

But the Hoosiers had another disappointing end to their season. Just days before they were to play Pepperdine, CNN/SI ran a piece where former player Neil Reed (who had transferred out of Indiana as a junior in 1997) accused Knight of choking him during a practice. As a result, sixth seeded Indiana was whipped by Pepperdine 77-57 in the first round.

A tape of the choking incident would later surface, and it eventually led to the demise of Bobby Knight. The timing of all this couldn't have been worse for Guyton. Instead of being remembered by Hoosiers fans as one of the best to come through Assembly Hall (he finished his career as the all-time leader in three's with 283 and 4th on the all-time scoring list with over 2,100 points), his name will forever be tied with the demise of Bobby Knight.

After college, Guyton was a second round pick in the 2000 NBA Draft, going 32nd to the Chicago Bulls. He ended up earning a two-year contract after an excellent summer league performance, and didn't disappoint in the limited chances he got - Guyton played in 78 games during the '01-'02 and '02-'03 seasons and averaged 5.7 ppg. He latched on with the Lakers during the '02-'03 preseason, but was cut prior to the season. He played two games with the Warriors that season, but was cut in December. After playing 30 games in the NBDL, Guyton eventually headed overseas.

Guyton bounced around Italy for the next three seasons, but prior to the '06-'07 season Guyton started having eye trouble. He played eight games in Croatia during '06-'07, but was forced to end his season early and was eventually diagnosed with glaucoma in both eyes. He played in both Greece and Sweden late in the '07-'08 season, but according to Interperformances (the agency that Guyton has signed with), he did not play this past season, and has yet to sign with anyone for '09-'10.