Located in the northern part of the Kanto Plain, which is as vast as Greater LA, Tochigi Prefecture has Utsunomiya as its capital city.
Overview
| Official Website | https://www.utsunomiyabrex.com/ |
| Founded | 2004 |
| What Brex Represents | The term "BREAKTHROUGH" (breaking the status quo) was coined from its pronunciation. Additionally, the word "REX" means "king" in Latin, symbolizing the aspiration to reach the pinnacle of basketball—basketball's REX = B-REX. |
| Team Colors | Navy, Yellow *The team colors are inspired by the colors of the NBA team Indiana Pacers, which is from Indiana, a sister state of Tochigi Prefecture. |
| Arena | Brex Arena Utsunomiya(Capacity approx. 2,900) |
| Main Sponsor | Tochigi Bank |
One of the prestigious clubs representing the league, they were the inaugural B.League champions (2016-2017) and also won the title in the 2021-2022 season. The fanbase is passionate and dedicated.
The market is not large. Utsunomiya City has a population of around 500,000, accounting for about a quarter of Tochigi Prefecture's total population.
Notable Japanese (Asian) Players to watch
Makoto Hiejima(6-3, G, Aoyama Gakuin University)
Sorry, Yuta Watanabe, but you’d probably agree that Makoto Hiejima is the top Japanese player after Rui Hachimura.
He’s a unique player you won’t find in the U.S., Europe, or Australia. While attention often goes to his offense, including his shooting, his defense is also remarkable and highly versatile.
If the B.League had started ten years earlier, his debut on the world stage would likely have been successful. In that sense, he can be considered a victim of the chaotic state of Japanese basketball in the past.
Atsuya Ogawa(6-3, G, University of Tsukuba)
Like his idol Hiejima, he comes from Rakunan High School, a prestigious school in Kyoto.
However, his playing style is completely different from Hiejima's. Do you remember the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup? Japan finished last with a record of seven losses, but no one could stop Ogawa's drives.
Notable Foreign (Naturalized) Players to watch
D. J. Newbill(6-4, G, Penn State)
After playing in Europe and the NBL in Australia, he joined Osaka in 2020. He moved to Utsunomiya last season and won the regular season MVP.
Unlike the paint in the B.League, which is crowded with foreign players, there are many Japanese players who are physically outmatched on the perimeter, creating opportunities for him to shine. However, he is a highly competitive and valuable player, often underrated on the global stage.
Head Coach: Kevin Braswell
A former Georgetown player, he launched his coaching career as head coach of the Wellington Saints in the New Zealand NBL in 2016, after an extensive professional playing career. He went on to serve as head coach for the New Zealand NBL Breakers before arriving in Japan in 2021, where he became an assistant coach for Akita.
This season marks his first as a head coach in the B.League.
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