New Minor League Basketball Team Launches Regular Season

A new minor-league basketball team based in Bloomington, Illinois begins its regular season Sunday afternoon. The Central Illinois Drive will meet the St. Louis Phoenix, at Soldan International Studies High School Arena in St. Louis. It's the first regular season game for both teams in the five-year-old Premier Basketball League.

The two teams play again on Friday evening, January 13th, for the Drive's first regular season home game, at the U-S Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington.

The Central Illinois Drive go into the season, following a 96 to 90 home court win over the Chicago Muscle on New Year' Eve.

The Drive are coached by former Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors player A-J Guyton. The team lineup includes former ISU player Tony Lewis and former Bradley University players Daniel Ruffin and Matt Salley.

The St. Louis Phoenix played last season as the St. Louis Pioneers in the American Basketball Association.

The Central Illinois Drive is the third minor league athletic team to come to Bloomington in recent years. The Bloomington Blaze of the Central Hockey League and the Bloomington Extreme of the Indoor Football League are also based at Bloomington's U-S Cellular Coliseum.