Ryuji Aoki will begin his pro basketball career with the Shinshu Brave Warriors.
The defending B. League second-division champions made the announcement on Wednesday, giving the cerebral guard a chance to begin his pro career in his homeland.
The 21-year-old Aoki, who was born in Aichi Prefecture, moved to Illinois while he was a second-grader in elementary school due to his father's job relocation. He grew up near Chicago. Fast forward to 2015, when Aoki, then a junior, helped Adlai Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire capture the Illinois Class 4A state title.