“He didn’t know I was watching, but I was watching him play,” Guyton said.
Last week, Bielfeldt introduced himself to Guyton through a handwritten letter, an advice-seeking note that bridged a decade and a half gap in IU basketball history.
Guyton, IU’s fourth all-time leading scorer who played for the Hoosiers from 1996-2000, shared the letter on social media last Thursday.
Of any other emotion, Guyton said his initial reaction was shock upon receiving the letter.
“I was just surprised that a college student would take time out to write a handwritten letter to somebody like myself,” he said. “I consider myself a supporter of the program and an alum, but there are many others that have come before and after me that were probably more worthy of a handwritten note.”
As Bielfeldt’s letter explained, he spent his entire childhood in Peoria, where he played in Guyton’s basketball summer camps.
“I wanted to apologize for everything you have had to deal with as an alumni of this university, and I wanted to personally tell you that I will do everything in my power to lead this team from within to make you proud to cheer for the Hoosiers without any distraction,” Bielfeldt said in his letter.
For the majority of IU’s off-court incidents in the past two years, Bielfeldt resided in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he was redshirted as a freshman and before playing three seasons for the Wolverines.
Since using the graduate transfer provision to transfer to IU in June, Bielfeldt has seen former teammate Emmitt Holt dismissed from the team, after Holt and freshman center Thomas Bryant were cited for illegal possession of alcohol in August.
“I understand that this basketball program is special, and it is an honor to be a part of this storied tradition, even if it is only for 9-10 months,” Bielfeldt said in his letter. “If you have any advice on what this program needs, or even just want to grab lunch when I’m home in Peoria, don’t be hesitant to call or text.”
The two recently spoke on the phone, which was likely the first of many calls between the pair of Hoosiers.
“We just committed to creating a relationship, staying in touch and following his short tenure here at Indiana,” Guyton said, “so the letter definitely sparked and created a relationship for us.”
By reaching out to an alumnus of the program, Bielfeldt showed he’s on the right path as a leader, Guyton said.
“That’s something that’s never happened before,” Guyton said.
Guyton offered words of wisdom to the fifth-year forward. Be outstanding citizens of the community first and basketball players second and everything will fall in line, Guyton told Bielfeldt.
The former Hoosier hopes Bielfeldt will relay the message to his teammates in the locker room.
As someone who, while a supporter, is admittedly “not super close” to the program, Guyton said he appreciated the attachment between alumni and active players.
“That showed me that he cares,” Guyton said. “One thing about these players nowadays, they don’t seem to respect or care enough about the history of whatever program that they’re involved with. It showed me that he cares about the players, one through 12, who played at Indiana before him and have already done everything he’s trying to do. He wants that to be reflected in himself and who he is and how he plays and also instill some of that into the locker room, and that’s what the locker room needs.”
