Potter's New Blog

Changes

2012-01-11T06:36:00.000-08:00

Greetings from a very cold Reno, Nevada. I am out here for the Showcase, and I thought I would take a few minutes to update my blog after what has been a very busy and tough week. We have made a lot of changes with our basketball recently, and I thought I would take a few minutes to go through my thoughts.

The first significant move I made was to trade Marvin Phillips to the Erie Bayhawks for a draft pick. This was not an easy decision on any level, but I felt it was necessary for our team to shake some things up at the time. Making this move might make Marv look like a scapegoat for our team's early season struggles, but that is not the case. He is a player who had value, and that is why I decided to make that move. Frankly, when making a move to shake things up, it does not help to make moves on the edges. You have to get to the core, and that is why Marv was the one who was ultimately moved. Undoubtedly, I wish Marv all the best. He is a great person, such a joy to have around the office, and I will miss not having his family in Fort Wayne.

The next move I made was to waive Corey Allmond. We were adding Gilbert Brown, and Corey was going to move further down the depth chart. Rather than see him on the end of the bench not playing much, I decided to let him go. Corey had some good moments for us, but this is a bottom line business, and his shooting was not where it needed to be for a player considered to be a shooter in our league. I enjoyed having Corey with our franchise, and I wish him the best with his career.

Finally, last Thursday night, I made the very difficult decision to make a change with our head coach. Joey Meyer has been a wonderful person to work with and have in our organization, but we were just not having the success we hoped to have, and I thought the best way to turn things around was to bring in a new voice. You never know why things do not click, but after watching a stretch where we won one game in our last seven I decided to make the change. As I said, Joey is a very good coach and an even better person, and I am sorry that things did not work out. I know that he will coach again, and I am sure he will have great success doing it. The entire Mad Ants organization thanks him for his efforts here and wish him the very best in the future.

So now begins the Steve Gansey era. I have elevated him to interim head coach, and he has brought some things that I thought he would -- energy, enthusiasm, and a belief that this team is good enough to turn things around. It is a very small sample size, but I like how he has coached, how he has prepared, and how he has handled himself. He is certainly a work in progress, but he has certainly shown to me that he is ready for this moment.

Assigned Player from the Bucks

2011-12-30T10:34:00.000-08:00

Darington Hobson has joined the Mad Ants from the Milwaukee Bucks, and he will be playing for the Ants tonight against the D-Fenders tonight. Darington is a very good all-around player who was a second round draft pick for the Bucks two years ago. Before playing with the Bucks, he was a Mountain West Player of the Year, where he averaged 15, 9, and 4 his last season there. Anytime you add a talented player, it is a good thing, and we are happy to have Darington donning the yellow jerseys tonight.

LA D-Fenders

2011-12-30T10:25:00.001-08:00

Tonight is another opportunity for the Ants to get back on track. After a loss that was more discouraging because of the listless play of the players to Erie, the team must play with some energy, urgency, and toughness if they expect to beat the D-Fenders.

Often I will write about the other team and how good they are and how we need to stop this guy or that guy. And, make no mistake, the D-Fenders are good. But every team in this league is good, and every team in this league is capable of beating the other on any given night. And, most importantly, the Mad Ants are good. The Ants need to focus on what they do and make the D-Fenders deal with them when they are playing their best and really executing on both offense and defense. If we play the best that we can play, we will end up on top more times than not. This season, we have clearly not played our best, but there is no time like the present to start the slow climb back up to the top of the standings. With one of our best rosters we have ever put together, that is the expectation.

Hope to see you tonight at what will be a great game!

Hoops Update

2011-12-16T02:45:00.001-08:00

Quick update on the game today. The Ants will have Cam Jones back from his stint trying out for the Miami Heat. From what I heard from him, he had a great experience, but he is ready to get back with the Ants and continue his fine play with the us. Cam is one of the smartest and smoothest players you will see, and his mid range game is really highly developed for a player right out of school. As a rookie, he will have some highs and lows, but his cool demeanor will help make the swings less violent than most other young players. I am excited to see him back in the Ants uniform to watch his continued development.

Well, I am up early for another run. After a successful Chicago Marathon (successful for me at least), I have decided to slip in another marathon during the season down in Austin, Texas. I will watch the Ants play the Legends on February 17, and then I will travel over to Austin for the marathon on the 19th, and I will then fly home that night so I am home for my little sweetie's fifth birthday. I can't believe she is going to be five. This is going way too fast for me. Anyway, I ran 16 miles this past Sunday, will run 7 miles runs for the next three days with a ramp up to running 18 miles on Christmas Eve. I figured this is a good way to combat my usual difficulty with gaining weight during a season. Let's hope it works!

Futurecast Rave

2011-12-13T08:21:00.001-08:00

Sitting here at practice, and I decided to turn on NBA D-League Center Court app. If you haven't downloaded it, I really recommend it. You can watch every game in the D-League on it, and you can also watch archived games. It really is spectacular, and I commend the league on making our games so accessible.

At practice right now, and I'm watching these young players working hard to get better. They certainly make mistakes, but they play very hard, and I think we will see a lot of growth from there during this odd NBA training camp period.

With the Iowa Energy coming to town, they will have to learn quickly. The Energy are as good as ever, and Chris Makris and Kevin Young have done a nice job reworking their roster. Hope to see you all out on Friday to see what should be a fun game.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Chris Hunter to the Knicks

2011-12-12T15:12:00.000-08:00

Good news for Chris Hunter as he was called up to the New York Knicks training camp today. Chris has been working hard to get back into shape after an ankle injury the first day of practice, and it is not a surprise that a team would jump on him. If Chris can stay on the court, he should be working towards some of the ridiculous money that players like DeAndre Jordan are now making ($10m per year). Chris has all the athleticism, strength, and skill a team should want in a big, and he now has to put it all together. If he can, there is no stopping him. This is the second time Chris has been called up before even playing a game for us, and I hope he never gets called up again, because it will mean that he has finally stuck in the NBA.

As for our other NBA training camp participants, I can only tell you what they tell me, but they all feel like they are playing well and giving it everything they have. It will tough for each player to make an NBA squad, but if they play aggressively and take a spot, it will impress the coaches and give them a far better chance. Would there be anything better than seeing these guys finally accomplish their life's work and make the NBA? For me, there would be nothing better. Good luck to them all!

Six Games In

2011-12-11T05:24:00.001-08:00

Nice win for our young team last night. They lost a heartbreaker at home on Friday, immediately hopped on a bus for a six hour ride to Erie, and they then won a big game in Erie last night. When you have so many young players, they need to learn how to win, and I am hoping that last night's game will portend good things for them as we move forward in this very interesting time in the D-League. When you lose so many veterans, you lose a lot of leadership and experience. With that said, these young men are very hungry, and I am hoping that they will continue to improve and bring home victories.

Six games in, we have had some good and some bad. We started out with two nice wins against Springfield and Sioux Falls, but fell in two games where we had substantial leads, but were not able to close the games out. When you have as much talent as we had with Lazare, Jones, Russell, and Howard, you have to take as much advantage of them while they are here, and we could have been better about that. But, I believe that we are still a good team without them, and my expectations haven't lowered. It is going to be tougher without those players, but we can still win, especially with Chris Hunter returning, which should be soon.

So, all in all, not the hot start we all hoped for, but the team has shown that, if it can close out games better like they did last night, it can make a run as one of the better teams in this league.

A New Season, A New Blog Post

2011-11-27T08:48:00.000-08:00

Well, here is a new blog post, and it took my dad standing over my shoulder to get me to write one. So, you can all thank -- or blame -- him for this new discussion on all things Mad Ants. Let's get right to the meat: Friday's game.

I thought it was a great night for the Mad Ants organization. From the game operations to the play on the court, I think there has been few nights better than that one. Turning to the hoops, I don't see how Mad Ants fans are not excited about what they see from our team this season. I thought our veterans were very good, and I think our newcomers added a lot of energy and fine execution to get us the win.

The Ants led the game the entire time, but let Sioux Falls come back and make it close in the end. I think two things led to that -- first, the Skyforce are a much improved team, and, second, those types of lapses occur in the first game of the season. In fact, I think the first game is always the toughest to win, and we now have that taken care of.

I am very excited about this team and the level of talent on it right now. If we can shore up some of the simple defensive mistakes that we were making which gave the Skyforce far too many easy baskets, we will be a stout defensive team.

So, back to the blogging for me, and I hope back to visiting us for every game at the Coliseum for you readers who are able to do so.

The Horror, The Horror!

2011-09-02T09:27:00.000-07:00

Folks, it looks like we have had an accident with our Facebook page. We were transferring info from one page to another as we were told to do, but all our info was lost. Along with it -- 4,200 followers or likers or however it is described. Can all five of my remaining readers please -- PLEASE! -- go to our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Wayne-Mad-Ants/112914785459572 and hit the LIKE button? Thank you!

Kyle McAlarney

2011-08-31T12:41:00.000-07:00

Kyle McAlarney is a former Mad Ant who is now playing in France for the team CSP Limoges. Kyle had a very good year in Greece last year, and I am sure he will do even better in France. But, that start will have to wait, as he has hurt himself and will be out for 3-4 weeks. Luckily, there is probably 6-8 weeks before the season starts, so he should be just fine.

New Schedule is Out!

2011-08-31T12:37:00.000-07:00

Hello, faithful readers, it is I, your friendly Mad Ants President here to tell you that our schedule is out! It is easily our best schedule and has 11 Friday and Saturday games. Our usual average is a paltry 6 per year, so this is quite a jump for us. There are some late year Saturday night games as well, so I am hoping that we can host another Versus nationally televised game. Be sure to check out our website at www.fortwaynehoops.com to take a look and call our office at 260-469-4667 to buy some season tickets today!

Mad Ants Overseas Signings

2011-08-26T12:22:00.001-07:00

We have some guys playing overseas now, but we do have a few players who have recently signed to play overseas for the upcoming fall season. The list is not long, but it is there:

Rob Kurz: Rob had a phenomenal season last year in Spain, and he now heads back there this season to play for Murcia. His game clearly fits that league well, and I suspect he will have another great season. He is one of my favorites to have worn a Mad Ants jersey, and I certainly wish him all the best.
Ryan Ayers: Ryan leveraged his great season last year in Finland to a deal in France for Boulazac. Ryan scored 18 a game while shooting 43% from three, and I suspect he will continue that at his next destination. Of all the great shooters we have had, the only shooters who may have been better were Ryan Wittman and Dewitt Scott. Corey Allmond certainly has a chance to get his name in consideration this year!
Ryan Wittman: The aforementioned sharp shooter will be taking his talents to Poland this season. I really think Ryan is a talented player, and I am sure he will do very well over there. There are very few players in the world with his ability to knock down jumpers, and he will have a long, successful career because of it. I was really hoping we could get Ryan back, but I wish him well and will dream of Ryan in a Mad Ants jersey next season!

I will keep filling these in as I see them come across the wire. Good luck to all these former Mad Ants!

Pat Summitt

2011-08-24T06:37:00.000-07:00

The news about Pat Summitt having early onset Alzheimer's was just awful news. As someone who has grown up around and in the basketball community, you see and hear a lot about lots of coaches. Many of them to me come off as posers or flash in the pans. Yet, there are many who stand the test of time and are on another level. When I think of those coaches, I think of Dean Smith, Mike Kryzewski, John Wooden, Pat Riley, Phil Jackson, and Pat Summitt.

I was first really introduced to her and how she coaches while watching a documentary about one of her championship seasons. It was absolutely wonderful to get a back stage glimpse of that program, and I was forever turned into a Pat Summitt fan.

At the risk of taking a lot of criticism, I freely admit that I am one of those guys who likely would have had a tough time playing for a woman, but I would not have had an issue with her. Every time I watch her, toughness and competitiveness just ooze out of her. You can tell how demanding she is, but you also see how her players respond to her and give her everything they have.

Leadership like that is rare, and I think her success would have would have been attained no matter who or what she was coaching. I am pleased to hear that she is going to stay on as coach, and I hope she has many more years for us to watch.

Mad Ants Update

2011-08-24T06:07:00.000-07:00

It seems like it is appropriate to occasionally discuss the Ants and its players, and I am going to take a few minutes now to update you on some players who are currently playing overseas.

Corey Allmond: Corey has spent much of the summer playing in a summer league in China. He has played very well and is currently averaging 21.6 ppg while shooting 40% from three point range. Corey needed much more experience coming off last season, and I think this is a good experience for him. Corey has stated he intends to come back to the Ants, and if he can improve his game, he could have a real breakout year.
Anthony Kent: Anthony played over in Malaysia for a month during a tournament, and he had a great experience. AK did not get as many minutes as he would have liked last season, and it is sometimes good to go somewhere and just play. It allows you to get out of your role or rut and remember all the good things you can do on a basketball court. He certainly was able to do that, and he averaged approximately 16 points and 13 rebounds a game.
Walker Russell, Jr.: Walker is playing down in the Dominican Republic, and he is clearly having his best season overseas. His team is on top of the standings, and he is averaging 16.2 ppg, 5.6 apg, and shooting an impressive 45% from three. Walker is also one of the league leaders in turnovers, and that is an area that he has to improve.
Larry Turner: Yes, there has been a Larry Turner sighting! He is in the Dominican as well, and he is playing okay. Larry is doing his usual 6 and 5 down there, but he has been there the whole season, so he must be doing something right.
Darnell Lazare: Darnell just got down to the Dominican as well, and he has gotten off to a slow start and is averaging 3.3 ppg and 2 rpg. He is not getting many minutes just yet, and I am sure that will pick up quickly for him.
Chris Kramer: Chris played down in Puerto Rico for a while this summer, and he had a very solid experience down there. He joined the team towards the end of the season, and I think it is always hard to do that. The roles are already set, and nobody is necessarily willing to let the new guy come in and do what he wants. With that said, Chris played well with inconsistent minutes -- 9 ppg, 4 rpg, and 3 apg. In other words, his usual all around performances.

What A Night!

2011-08-16T07:25:00.000-07:00

Last night, I watched one of the greatest shows every created -- Bachelor Pad. This is an incredibly entertaining spin off of The Bachelor, and the reason the show is so great is because this guy Casey is on the show. In his earlier stint on The Bachelorette, he got a tattoo which signified that he was going to "guard and protect" the heart of the bachelorette at the time, maybe Ali Fedowhat'shername.

On this show, he is dating this awful woman named Vienna, and they are just too wonderful for words. For example, Casey and Vienna spent five minutes just being awful to Vienna's ex, and when he left, they started making out in front of two other people. It was fantastic.

So, as a public service, I am taking this time to encourage everyone to put your books down and turn this on every Monday night!

My Summer

2011-08-15T12:54:00.000-07:00

I think a lot of kids have to write essays on what they do during the summer, so I thought I would take a few minutes to talk about what I am doing. No, not the usual stuff about selling tickets, sponsorships, etc. Boring. I do that all day, and I don't always want to talk about it on this blog. Hence, my absence from it for some time. With no summer league this summer, there wasn't the opportunity to talk much about hoops either.

So, with that in mind, what I have really been doing is running. Running and more running. The kind of running that has completely funkafied my shoes due to heat domes and the resultant sweating therefrom. You see, I am training for a marathon this year, the one athletic accomplishment I have always wanted to do.

Why a marathon? For me and my size, it just seems so daunting. At 6'9, I am not exactly a runner's size, but I would like to show people (well, at least myself), that big guys can plod for 26.2 miles.

Some lessons I have learned from this? First, the slower I go, the better I feel and the longer I go. I can run a decent mile pace, but I invariably feel tight in my hammies or in my gluteus. Also, the slower I go (especially at the outset of a run), I find that I feel kind of joyous out there. Finally, when I go on a long run, it is the closest thing I have done to a basketball practice, which I feel is generally pretty tough.

This weekend, I went on the longest run I have ever done -- 20 miles. I won't say it was easy, but I felt pretty strong throughout, and I think I could have gone the entire 26.2 if need be. Needless to say, it was a good feeling, and I like the idea that I am getting closer and closer to completing this goal.

Well, that is it from here. Hope to be back more often!

Dirk!

2011-06-03T12:45:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but as a man who is 38 and headed towards 65, it is not easy for me to stay up past 10 o'clock for these finals games. But, last night, I was going to make it. I was tired as can be, but I thought the game was close, and I better watch in case there was a great ending. Then, like a miracle, the Heat went on a big run to push the score to 15 in the middle of the fourth, and it was like the sweetest gift every. I could turn off the TV and go to sleep because the game was over. Sweet relief.

How did this happen? How is it the guy providing the recap on the highlights sounds so bad? Fine, I will stay up through the next game.

Jimmy Fallon is a Genius!

2011-06-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

Everyone who reads my blog knows of my love for teen pop songs, and one of my favorites is Miley's Party in the USA. The song is now a classic due to the treatment Jimmy Fallon gave it. Not many funnier than Jimmy!

Oh Yeah -- I Have a Blog!

2011-05-31T13:41:00.000-07:00

As you can imagine, after a long season of inconsistent blogging, I like to take the time off to restore the old creative juices, and I think I am pretty close. What is on my mind today -- how hot it is in this office. AC broke in 90 degree weather, so I am sitting in my room sweating it out.

The other thing on my mind is that I am training for the Chicago Marathon, so don't be surprised if I write a few things about that. For example, I ran 6 miles today, and I am up to 12 for the week (with a minimum of 30 miles per week the goal). At 6'9, running is probably not my optimum sport, but I like it, and it is the closest I can get to an exercise that makes me sweat like playing basketball. The best part of playing basketball was how sweaty I was after a workout or practice, and I haven't found anything that quite gets me close, unless I run for like 10 miles, and I only do that on the weekend. Maybe I should get up earlier and do that.

My inspiration while running? The Tony Kornheiser Show of course. Check out his podcast -- funny stuff. The other inspiration -- not being so fat. By my measure, I need to get down to about 235 (or less), and I am fluctuate between 245-250. The issue -- eating. Love to eat. I need to remember Gisele Bundchen's famous quote -- "Nothing I eat will taste as good as being skinny feels." Words to live by.

As I get older, I also notice I care less about how I look while exercising. Of course, I have some nice Nike gear on while running, but I am not afraid to put on a Camelback for some hydration while running. Here is the look:

Pretty nerdy, I'm sure, but it makes me feel better while running to get a drink, so I am sticking with it. Plus, I saw all these cool guys in London running around with their backpacks, so I am looking to start a trend in the states.

So, a pretty poor effort as I try to get back into the blog swing of things. As for the Mad Ants, we are in the selling mode right now and not a whole lot of fun basketball stuff to share. When something hits, I will be sure to tell you. Thanks for your patience, and I will be back up with more blogs when inspiration hits.

Interesting Playoff Moves

2011-04-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

The playoffs are on in the NBA D-League, and I am as jealous as I can be. I watched the entire Utah-Iowa game last night, and I couldn't help but wish our guys were together fighting it out to make it to the next round. All in all, the game I watched was a very fun one to watch, and I was very impressed with how resilient Utah was, especially in losing their big man Brandon Costner. They don't have any classic bigs, but they have long players like Tony Gaffney, Ryan Thompson, Ronald Dupree, and Brian Hamilton, and they battled their way to a hard fought win. They look to be a tough match up for Iowa, and it won't get any easier. Marques Blakely was called up today to the Houston Rockets. Blakely has been light's out for Iowa since he was acquired, and Iowa will have to hope Stanley Robinson steps up with a big game for them.

The interesting thing to watch here will be what Houston does with Blakely. A couple of days ago, after RGV's loss to the Bakersfield Jam, Houston called up Austin Toro big Marcus Cousin and immediately assigned him to RGV in the middle of a playoff series to play in game two of the playoffs. If we see Blakely assigned and playing tonight, that will clearly give them a big lift. Fun to see what happens in that series.

Ended Too Soon

2011-04-04T12:42:00.001-07:00

I must say that that is exactly how I feel. I wish we could have had more games with this group, because I enjoyed them greatly. Every player who donned a Mad Ants jersey this year could not have been a better person, and I will miss them all.

We didn't quite get to where we wanted to be, but I think Coach Meyer has set the foundation to get our team there on a yearly basis. Our team started poorly in our first two years, and it takes time to change a culture to one that cares about winning and winning only. Joey has done that and then some, as each player was truly heart broken about not making it to the playoffs -- I'm not sure every team could say that.

It was a great group of players and coaches, but it was an even better group of fans this year. We had our best home record ever this year, and I think it had everything to do with how loud and passionate our fans are. Thank you as always for all you do to make this team a success!

This season was just a blast, and I can't wait to get right back to it. Look forward to seeing you next year!

Every Game Gets Bigger and Bigger

2011-03-29T12:54:00.001-07:00

If you follow the Mad Ants, and chances are you do if you are reading this blog, you know that the Mad Ants keep playing bigger and bigger games each and every week. That doesn't change this week, as the team heads to Portland, Maine for a game against the Maine Red Claws. The Red Claws may not have the best record, but much of that is because they had a lot of injuries to really good players like Magnum Rolle and Stephane Lasme. Well, those guys are back, and Maine is playing much better, including a big win on Sunday at one of the best teams in the league, the Bakersfield Jam. No doubt, we have our work cut out for us, and if we don't play hard and smart from the start, we are going to get boat raced like the last time we played Maine.

Our last game against New Mexico, I thought we did a lot of good things. I thought we shared the ball well, and I thought they came out with a purpose and with some urgency. That certainly showed in the second quarter when they really took the lead for good. It was a nice effort against a team that was very hot coming into Fort Wayne with 4 wins against top level teams in this league.

The big theme that continues for the Mad Ants has to be urgency. Every play, every pass, every shot, every defensive effort must be made with an urgency that every thing counts. We don't want to look back and think I wish I would have concentrated a bit more on some possession. Playing with a real sense of urgency from the opening tip will give us a great chance to win against a very talented team in a very tough environment. Let's hope they all continue to lean on each other and get us a monstrous win on Thursday.

They Got One When They Needed One

2011-03-25T10:27:00.000-07:00

There have been few more important games than last night in Erie, and that is probably why I drove out there to watch the game. The Mad Ants came through in a clutch 4th quarter with a huge three by Ryan Wittman and a classic coast to coast take by Ron Howard for an and one. That was it right there, as the Ants went on a 20-6 run to close the game out. Erie's Ivan Johnson was not playing due to a disciplinary matter, but who cares -- a win is a win, and we need as many as we can get right now.

As I mentioned in a previous post, Idaho is red hot, and we need to put the ball back in their court. As well as they are playing, we are going to have to get hot ourselves to stay ahead of them, especially considering that we would lose a tiebreaker to them (and Texas, for that matter). Texas will be playing in Tulsa tonight, and I don't have to tell anyone that we need to be huge 66er fans right now.

As for the Ants, if we take care of our own business, we should be alright. Again, big game on Sunday, and I hope we can fill the building as we go down to the wire here.

Rough Night

2011-03-23T07:48:00.000-07:00

I thought last night's game was disappointing on many levels, but the most disappointing thing is I thought they played very timid last night. The Bayhawks are very good with a very good player in Ivan Johnson. Further, Ivan is a tough kid on the court, and he is not going to give any quarter. I think the guys did not battle that team the way they could have, and it ended up in a disappointing defeat.

The good news is that we know we can play much better. Chris Kramer did not have one of his better games, nor did Rod Wilmont or Ron Howard. Frankly, I can't think of a player on our side who really stood out, so I'd like to think we would have someone accept the challenge on Thursday, understand what we are playing for, not be intimidated, and play their best when their best is needed.

Tonight's Erie Game

2011-03-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

Folks, we go back to back against one of the best teams in the d-league when we play the Erie Bayhawks. It is going to be a tough task for our guys to beat them. They were already a good team, and they just added Erik Daniels, who was a first team all d-league performer two years ago.

The key for us is the same thing -- we have to play with an urgency that every play, every possession is vital. We have to be physical, and we have to block out. And we have to play hard, but most importantly, we have to play smart.

We also need to win. We have three teams breathing down our neck just one game out of the final playoff spot. All teams are playing really well right now, but maybe the hottest of any of us is Idaho. Randy Livingston has them playing their best ball right now, and the Stampede went down into Rio Grande Valley and got a big win.

Undoubtedly, if we are going to have a shot to make the playoffs, we are going to have to get very hot ourselves. If we play with the type of urgency and competitiveness that we did against Iowa the other day, I like our chances. Let's see if we can't come up with a big one tonight!

Great Effort

2011-03-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

The Mad Ants dropped a tough one yesterday afternoon to the Iowa Energy, but I could not be more proud of the way they fought and played in the loss. After playing the night before and busing all night to Des Moines, the guys played an early 5 pm game and gave Iowa everything they could handle. I think the achilles heal last night was just not having enough legs, because many jumpers we normally make were short. With that said, they had a chance to win at the end and if a few balls had bounced our way, we would have won.

Luckily for us, Texas lost to Maine yesterday, so we still remain a game ahead of them in the playoff race. Texas will play this Friday, and we have two games against another league powerhouse, the Erie Bayhawks.

Erie continues to be one of the better teams in this league, and they just added Erik Daniels. Erik played for them two years ago, and he was just terrific. He is a lefty four man who can shoot outside or score inside. Combine him with the best big in our league (Ivan Johnson) and a very hot Tasmin Mitchell, and you have a formidable front court.

We will have our work cut out for us, undoubtedly, but if we play like we did against Iowa, I like our chances.

National TV Game

2011-03-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

Don't forget that tonight is our national television game on Versus! Very rarely has a local organization brought such a high profile event to Fort Wayne, and I hope that we will get a lot of folks out to the game tonight to show the national audience what great fans we have. The game will be broadcast at 11 pm ET/8 pm PT, and I hope you will tune in if you can't make it to the arena. See you tonight!

Big Night Tonight for the Mad Ants on Versus!

2011-03-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

Tonight we have probably the biggest game of our franchise's existence, as we need to beat a tough Springfield Armor team tonight in front of what looks to be a big crowd and a national television audience on Versus.

Springfield's record could be better, but they have showed time and time again that they have a lot of talent in players like JamesOn Curry, Jerry Smith, Scottie Reynolds, and Lance Hurdle. Throw in assigned player Ben Uzoh from the New Jersey Nets, and we are going to have our hands full.

With the wins by Texas, Austin, and Idaho last night, we are only a half game up for the 8th spot in the playoffs, and we cannot afford to not take care of business at home.

I hope our guys come out and play with the urgency that our guys need to have tonight and for the rest of the games this season. Every play, every possession, every shot, every defensive effort is incredibly important, and our guys have to treat these instances with the utmost urgency it deserves.

How about this -- if the players are half as ready for this game as I am, we will be in good shape!

Ho Hum

2011-03-18T17:36:00.000-07:00

I am sitting down to watch games for the first time in two days, and I am treated to some very boring games. Let's run down my viewing options:

First, it is this awful Lebron James/State Farm commercial where they put him what might be the worst sweater I've ever seen. It looks like something from a bad 80's skiing movie, like Hot Dog. Awful.
North Carolina is on, and I love them so very much from my few summers I spent there working their basketball camps. I really love that school, Roy Williams, and that awesome Carolina blue colors. I hope they win, and Duke loses.
Marquette and Xavier is the closest game, but I can't stand watching either school.
Kansas and Boston U is a complete blowout
I can't stand watching Purdue. I think it has something to do with the colors they wear. I'm not afraid to admit it -- I like teams based on colors!
Now is one of those lame Man Up Miller Lite commercials. I've never seen a one note premise tortured as much as this one. Enough with the nerdy guy in jeggings and the hot bartenders -- not funny.
Drew Henson from UNC is really good. The closest thing to Sam Perkins I've seen in many a year.

Well, that is my evening. I know I should watch hoops, but unless a Pac 10 team is interested, I think I am going to go watch 30 Rock or something funny. Big game tomorrow. Hope the men are getting rested and ready to play with the urgency I discussed in my last post. It's a big one tomorrow, and we need to get it!

A Much Needed Win

2011-03-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

Well, the team always makes it interesting, don't they? In a critical game (let's be honest, they are all critical from here on out), the Mad Ants looked like they were in real trouble with 5 minutes to go and down 7. But, the guys answered the bell, and they came charging back thanks to some big time plays by Chris Kramer, Darnell Lazare, and Marvin Phillips. Moreover, after watching two of Springfield's bench players combine for 61 points, Rod Wilmont and Ron Howard made the plays necessary on defense to help us escape with a one point win. It was a truly gutsy, tough win (especially after a first half that I believed to be quite the opposite of gutsy) for the guys and hopefully something they can build on.

While they should feel good with the win, the first half demonstrated, in my opinion, that the team must develop more of a killer instinct. The team had Springfield down in the first half and allowed Jerry Smith to single handedly keep them in the game. They had a seven point lead in the first half, but allowed that lead to evaporate rather than put their foot on their neck and pour it on. I hate the idea of letting teams back in the game -- and providing them a belief that they can win -- and having to scramble like last night to get a win when the outcome could be determined earlier through focus and execution.

The guys have a chance to do something special here in Fort Wayne and have some real fun while doing it. I'm excited to see them come out tomorrow night ready with an urgency, a purpose, and a focus that will lead to a vital victory.

An Old Friend Comes Home

2011-03-14T14:27:00.000-07:00

Good news, Mad Ants fans. Ron Howard, our former All Star who left last year for China, is back in the D-League with the Mad Ants. Ron will bring some much needed experience to our team as we go through this crucial stretch. It will be great to have Ron back, and I am hoping that he can help put us over the top!

Good Weekend

2011-03-14T12:56:00.000-07:00

A very solid weekend for the Mad Ants, as they take 2 of 3 from Springfield and Maine. Last night, I think the travel got to them, and I think Maine played really well, especially Mario West, who had a triple double and really shot the ball well.

So, while we didn't get the sweep like we all hoped, you can't turn your nose up at winning 2 of 3 games on the road. This sets up some critical games this week against Springfield at home and a tough one in Iowa right after our Saturday game.

Our team has never been in a playoff hunt, and it is going to be very fun to enjoy this with our fans! Hope to see you all at our games this Thursday and Saturday -- we are really going to need a loud crowd to push us through!

Non Basketball Entry!

2011-03-09T14:09:00.001-08:00

Not much to talk about on the hoops side, so I'm going to talk about what is on my mind -- Special Agent Phil from this seasons version of Survivor. Rarely have I seen more entertaining person on television. Between his pink underwear that he seems to be running around, his crying, or his explanation of his tattoos, he is making this the best Survivor ever. I am extremely anxious to watch how Boston Rob will manipulate him tonight! So, for all ten of you readers out there (family not included) be sure to check this out!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Out of Town

2011-03-08T19:41:00.001-08:00

Hey folks, I'm way too late on the blog right now, and I apologize. I'm back in Seattle right now visiting my family after a long time away from home.

The one thing that I want to say above all things is thank you for the wonderful game we had last Friday night. It was fantastic to have so many fans out at the game, and I don't remember having so much at an Ants game. I obviously wish that the guys could have finished off a great night with a win, but it didn't detract from a wonderful evening. Thank you so much!

On the team front, Carlos English was waived today. We were very patient with Carlos over the year in hopes he would find his shooting touch and some of the good play he showed us last year, but it just never came and it was time to go on another direction. We will be looking to add someone soon, but look for Chris Kramer to slide over and run some one for the team.

Okay, back to some family time. I will try to get something up every day.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Today's Practice

2011-03-02T09:48:00.000-08:00

I thought today's practice was really pretty good for losing an all star and adding a new guy at a very important positions. Derek Raivio picked up the offense very easily, and I think he has the type of game that allows him to fit in well with any team -- he's unselfish. Like Walker, he is not a scoring point guard, but one that is trying to move the ball and get an easy shot. Those guys usually slide in well with a team, and I thought he did that today. It was only one practice, and we have a ways to go, but I thought he did well.

The other guy in the point guard equation is Carlos English. We are one of few teams that has taken a chance on Carlos, and I hope he will be able to reward our faith by playing some sound, fundamental basketball. We don't need him to go out and be Walker -- we need him to be the best Carlos English he can be. Which is to say, a penetrator, a defender, and a passer. If he can provide those three elements, he will really help and lift the club.

Undoubtedly, la duda is on the point guard position, and we need to have these two guys step up and fill the role. My expectations have not changed with this team -- they should be a playoff team and they have the talent to do it. We will get our chance to see where we are at the next two days.

Ants Trade for Raivio

2011-02-28T14:02:00.000-08:00

With the loss of Walker Russell, Jr. to China, the Mad Ants made a trade today to shore up their point guard position by acquiring Derek Raivio in a three team deal between the Austin Toros, Erie Bayhawks, and Ants.

Raivio has not seen a ton of time sitting behind former All Star Blake Ahearn, but he has seen success throughout his career. The former C0-WCC Player of the Year at Gonzaga has been playing his best basketball in the month of February.

He will come to help carry the post-Russell point guard duties with Carlos English who has a real opportunity to demonstrate that it isn't the size of the dog in the fight, it is the size of the fight in the dog. Carlos has ability, and we will need him to demonstrate it now with Walker gone. In fact, we will need them both to demonstrate it as we head into the final stretch of the season battling it out with 4 or 5 other teams in the playoff hunt.

Should be fun!

A Win, and a Loss

2011-02-28T07:53:00.000-08:00

Folks, it was a pretty good weekend when you look at some of the adversity the team faced. The had a nightmare travel day on the way out there that saw them arriving in Bismarck, North Dakota a few hours before the game despite leaving the day before the game. The lost that first game, although they played hard, because they just didn't have the energy in my opinion to get over the hump.

Yesterday saw them playing a much better game and the team was able to get the split with Dakota. Darnell Lazare was a beast in the middle with 26 points and 8 boards. Wayne Chism continues to improve his play for the team with 13 points and 11 boards. Chris Kramer had a great game with 17 points on 5 of 6 shooting, and Rod Wilmont really set a great tone with his defensive effort.

Walker Russell, Jr. had his usual stellar performance with 24 points and 8 assists, but we also received some bad news about Walker after the game. Walker got a great offer to go and play in China, and the money was just too good for him to pass up. Tough loss for us, but good for Walker and his family. I am currently working on bringing in someone to help with this loss. I will update the blog as soon as possible when and if something happens.

Saturday Game Update

2011-02-26T15:48:00.000-08:00

Looks like it is going to be a tough one for the Mad Ants tonight. The poor guys have been traveling for over 30 hours to try and get to Bismarck. They couldn't make their flight in Indy due to weather, and that about killed it for yesterday -- there are very few flights in and out of Bismarck. Today they had to fly to Dulles to get to Chicago and only arrived to Bismarck a couple of hours ago. On top of that, Larry Sanders was recalled yesterday due to an injury to one of the Bucks big men. So, the team has every excuse to lose, but I am hoping they will demonstrate some real guts and pull this out. We will see in one hour!

A Pleasant Evening

2011-02-25T02:14:00.000-08:00

All day yesterday, I thought how nice it would be if our guys could make last night's game and not leave the outcome in doubt. Well, that is exactly what we got, and it could not have come at a better time. The Ants jumped out to an early 11-2 lead and never looked back. Rod Wilmont and Wayne Chism were the catalysts for our hot start. Rod hit three quick jumpers -- including two three pointers -- and provided some stifling defense to help get the team off and running. From there, Wayne Chism went to work. Coming in for a foul plagued Larry Sanders, Wayne put together his best basketball of the year as he scored 9 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in the first quarter.

It was really all over from there, as every member of the team contributed to the 23 point victory. It was very encouraging to see Wayne play so well, because we are going to need consistent efforts like that once Sanders leaves back to the NBA and the Bucks. Wayne has the size, strength, and athleticism to be one of the better bigs in this league, but he will have to put together consistent efforts like last night to get there. If he does, watch out -- he will be a call up candidate.

As for the rest of the team, the usual suspects were there playing well -- Marvin Phillips, Corey Allmond, Wilmont, Walker, Kramer, Whitman, Lazare, Kent, Sanders, and Carlos English all contributed to a great win.

Now comes the hard part. The team has put themselves a half game out of the playoffs going into two tough games in Dakota. The guys really have to bear down, rely on each other, execute their offensive and defensive systems, and bring home some wins from the road. They are good enough, and if they continue to play together, play unselfishly, and play smart, I think they can continue to string together wins and put us in a great spot to win our first playoff spot.

Skin of Our Teeth

2011-02-24T04:29:00.000-08:00

I think that is a pretty apt description of how we escaped with a win last night. It looked like we had no energy, no enthusiasm for three quarters last night, but the guys kept things close and were able to extend it to OT, where the guys took control.

I think there is always a transition period when you add someone like Larry Sanders from the NBA. The way this league works is that those guys have to play (especially we want them to play if we are going to keep receiving these NBA assignments), and the result of that is that guys who have been here and been getting minutes lose them. Wayne Chism and Anthony Kent were the clear victims of that last night, as they played few minutes. But, that is the way it goes, and, as well as Larry played, Joey would be crazy to not get as many minutes from him as he can while he is down here.

As for the game, I was really impressed with Rod Wilmont. He played his tail off on both ends of the court, and he hit the two big jumpers in OT to get us off to a quick lead after diving for the ball at the end of regulation to force overtime. Darnell Lazare is rock solid for us down low, and he continues to impress with a variety of post moves to help him score. Corey Allmond continues to gain in confidence and provide a perimeter threat in the game, and he hit the monster three to push the game into OT. Finally, Larry Sanders is clearly the best player we have ever had assigned to us. He was a huge deterrent in the middle, and he did a great job on the board.

We have another game tonight, and let's hope our guys come out and become the hammer, not the nail, from the very beginning. We need Walker to dictate tempo and keep them on their heels the entire time. Hope to see you out there tonight!

All Star Break and Larry Sanders

2011-02-21T07:42:00.000-08:00

Just back from the all star game in LA where we had some league wide meetings. The meetings were productive, and the upside of this league continues to grow, in my estimation.

Also was able to see Walker Russell, Jr. play in the all star game, and I could not be more proud of the way he played or the way he represented all Mad Ants fans. He scored 9 points, had 10 assists, and was on ESPN Sportscenter top plays with his picture perfect alley oop pass to Patrick Ewing, Jr. Great to see him getting some national recognition!

The guys are about to practice, and we will be adding a new player in Larry Sanders. Larry is a 6'10 center for the Milwaukee Bucks, and he will be down for a few games to get him some more run to help his development. Where Larry excels is on the defensive end of the court, where he blocks shots very well. And he can also dunk it quite well. So, obviously, we are hoping for some good things from Larry during his stay down in Fort Wayne, and I hope he gets a lot out of it as well.

I Don't Have a Good Title For This Post

2011-02-15T06:27:00.000-08:00

Back from Reno, and I really don't have a ton to say. At this point, it is just a broken record. The team plays well enough to win, but keeps making the same mistakes -- bad turnovers, bad shots, bad defensive rotations -- and they find a way to lose. The team has a long break from now until their next game. They need to recover some of the swagger and confidence it had early on in the season during the current week's practice. There is still a chance to make the playoffs, but not a whole lot of time.

Going to Reno

2011-02-10T05:37:00.000-08:00

Where the mountains are white, and the best bacon in the world is only a quick 30 minute drive away. About three and half years ago, Julie, Sydney, and I went out to Tahoe for a wedding and we stayed and the Plumpjack Hotel there. It was a beautiful scene, lovely views, nice hotel, blah blah blah, but the one thing both Julie and me remember is the Plumpjack's bacon. It was so good, and I have not had any bacon that even comes close to it since. I am heading out to Reno for the games tomorrow and Saturday, and I think I am going to drive up to the Plumpjack for a little bacon.

Oh yeah, I have to talk basketball on this blog. To be honest, it has been kind of slow the past few days. The guys have been able to get some much needed practice time, and I think that is good to get some prep work in before heading into Reno. Rod Wilmont will likely not be playing the next two games due to his lacerated finger acting up, so I think we will shut him down to allow that to heal properly.

Other than that, we head out and hope to steal a couple from a very talented Reno team before we get about a week and half off for the all star break. Hope everyone is well and having a great week!

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

2011-02-06T18:19:00.000-08:00

Tough night for the Mad Ants, as they lose to vastly improved Sioux Falls Skyforce. Sioux Falls is a very big team, and they pounded us on the boards. Our bigs have to do a better job rebounding, but it has to be a team effort. Our wings are offering us absolutely nothing in terms of rebounding, and it is tough for the bigs to try to take on their men and then also compete with wings like Patrick Ewing, Jr. who are flying in after rebounds.

The good news is that we have two players who really seem to be elevating their game of late, and I almost ready to add a third. Walker Russell, Jr. has been a revelation the last few games, and I am really happy to see him playing so well. The issue for him is consistency -- can he keep playing at a high level so he will be considered an elite player and possible call up candidate in this league.

Darnell Lazare is really putting a stamp on this league in the last week or so. Darnell is as talented a post player there is when it comes to foot work, but he does suffer with being a bit small for the post. He is getting past that by nicely mixing up his mid range jumper with his ability to go to the hole and finish with either hand with little hooks.

The last player, and I am not sure he is quite playing as well as he can, but Chris Kramer is starting to make his mark on this league. I think he has the ability to be one of the best in the league with his toughness, competitiveness, and his growing offensive skill. We are starting to see some of this coming together, and we sure need it to if we are going to make this push for the playoffs.

A difficult loss, but we still remain in the playoff hunt by being only a game and a half back. Everyone needs to pick up their games and coach has to look at all possible combinations to get us out of this funk.

This is Next Level

2011-02-04T10:21:00.000-08:00

I wonder I can somehow teach our guys to do this to our opponents. It was make games much easier -- and funky! (Double click the video to get full screen)

Slowly Building

2011-02-04T06:40:00.001-08:00

Last night was not the prettiest win, but I thought it was one of the sweetest we have seen in a while. I thought the flow of the offense was better. I really liked how Corey Allmond played and spread the court. He may have missed some shots, but I liked every one of those shots, and I loved how he communicated and competed on defense. I thought our defensive effort was much improved, but we still have to block out better, because we would not finish off the defensive possession by getting the board and it kept them in the game. With that said, they made all the stops at the end of the game to pull the game out.

Chris Kramer had his best game last night, and he continues to improve every day. It was no accident he hit that clutch three at the end of the game. He has worked diligently at that part of his game, and he is seeing the results by shooting close to 40 percent from three. Undoubtedly, we don't win without him last night.

Darnell Lazare continues to be a rock for us in the post. His professionalism is unmatched in how he prepares and plays, and I hope he continues to lift his game, because we need it.

Ryan Wittman had a very nice start last night, and I like what he brings to the team. Like Corey, teams have to account for him with his shooting, and he gave us a huge lift.

Finally, Walker Russell, Jr. showed why he is an all star. He kept us in that game, made huge shots at the end, and he then made the final play by diving into my lap out of bounds to grab the ball and make sure Austin couldn't get another shot off. That type of effort is what wins games, and it rubs off on the others. That is how players lead best. Not through words, but through doing all the little things to win games. Walker's challenge is to play at this level every night, because it is where he will have to be if he wants to achieve all the things he wants in this game.

I could mention numerous guys, but those guys jumped out at me. What I liked best is that last night seemed to be our blueprint for success when we were playing well. It is just one game, and we have to take care of business against a much improved team in Sioux Falls, but I liked what I saw last night.

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Wayne Chism

2011-02-02T12:03:00.001-08:00

Wayne is at practice today, and he is moving pretty well. For those who don't remember, Wayne took a nasty fall in the second game in Erie or week or so back and has been out since. He will meet the docs tomorrow, and if he gets the okay, we will activate him and make him eligible for tomorrow's game.

This is good news, as he was playing well before his injury. I wouldn't expect too much from him tomorrow or the next game, but he will be a big part of our run to the playoffs as soon as he rounds back into shape.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Oliver Lafayette Moves On, Ryan Wittman Moves In

2011-02-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

This has potentially been in the works for the past couple of days, but Oliver Lafayette will be leaving the team to replace Allen Iverson for Besiktas in Turkey. From what I hear, it truly is an offer he cannot refuse, and we are all happy for O. He has been an exemplary player and person for the Mad Ants, and I will certainly miss him.

To replace O, I signed Ryan Wittman yesterday. Ryan is the son of former IU great Randy Wittman, but Ryan more than made a name for himself with a great career at Cornell University. Last season, he led Cornell to their first ever NCAA Tourney win last season and even made it to the Sweet 16. He is a very good shooter with very deep range, and I hope he will help us better spread the court for Walker's penetration and for the bigs down low.

Disappointing Road Trip

2011-02-01T09:13:00.000-08:00

I dare say disappointing has been the operative word of late for this Mad Ants teams. Last night's game is a game that we flat out should not have lost. Instead of finishing a great start to the game and going home with a very good 2-1 road record on the trip, our team blows a first half lead, scores a mere 31 points while giving up 51 points, and lets Utah escape with a win when they did not have a true point guard, their best player (called up earlier in the day to the Nets), and more than one guy on their team that was 6'9. Add on the fact that they played the night before and had to travel the day of their game, and you can see why I believe that that was a game we should have won.

These types of games are becoming all to familiar in the past 10 or so games, and you can certainly add another word that should be coupled with disappointing, and that is frustrated, because I must admit that I am both of those emotions right now. I have consistently maintained that this is a good team that will snap out of it and get back to the play that saw them as one of the elite teams in this league 20 games into the season. In my experience, teams just don't do complete 180s like this. The wheels just don't fall off. However, I have to look honestly at what this team is doing.

In a mere 10 games, the team has squandered its hard earned good early record. They have failed to execute on both defense or offense. They are getting rebounded on a nightly basis. They are maddeningly inconsistent during games and have not put together a full 48 minute effort in more games that I can count. For example, last night, the team played defense, ran their plays, and thoroughly handled Utah in the first half. In the second half, they completely got away from playing any defense, they started jacking up contested jumpers, and they showed little energy when it came to running the court on either offense or defense. Indeed, these failures are all a recipe for defeat, and we have seen it way too often in the past 10-12 games.

I like to try to be honest on this blog, and I think I have done a pretty good job of that with the frank assessment you see above, but I also try to be as positive as possible here, and I think there are some reasons to still believe. It may be hard to believe, but we are still in the thick of the playoff race. Losses like last night do not help that cause, but we are still there. If we can get back on the right track and pull out another 12 games in the next 20 like we did earlier this year, we should be right there for a playoff spot. It can certainly be done, but everyone on this team has to get back to basics and start to build up their confidence by playing good, fundamental basketball on both sides of the court. If they do that, and rely on each other as a team rather than 10 individual guys trying to right the ship by themselves, I think we can go on another great end of season run.

As for our fans, I completely understand any frustrations you may have. You are all so wonderful and supportive -- especially the ones who care enough to read this lousy blog -- and you deserve a winner. I can promise you all that I am going to try to do everything I can do to deliver just that for you this season.

Wayne Chism

2011-01-25T13:37:00.000-08:00

Tough news on the injury front. Wayne Chism took a nasty fall on his back in the last game, and he is going to be out at least the next five games, if not more. A tough loss, as Wayne was rounding into shape and really starting to contribute.

In the meantime, we will look for another big to help round out our roster. I know I get comments of adding another big guy a la Chris Hunter, but let me assure you, players of Hunter's caliber are not falling off trees. We will continue to monitor players, but I don't want to make a move for moves sake. I want to bring in the right player that I believe fits with our coaching staff and team.

If we make any moves, I will be sure you all are the first to know.

My Call Up List

2011-01-24T14:49:00.001-08:00

There are some guys getting called up right now, and I know the NBA teams are looking for a certain type of player when they call guys up, but I am going to base my list on who I think are the best players, rather than who is the longest, most athletic, etc. Here is my list:

Othyus Jeffers: I have heard numerous people say that he is an undersized four, but all the guy does is make plays and win. He is the best defender in the league, and I think he is the best creator/scorer in the league with Trey Johnson's now out of it. He is just a stud, and I think he will make any team better because of the way he competes day in and day out.
Ivan Johnson: I may be biased for this former Duck (he was there a couple of years before transferring), but I think he is the most complete big man in the league. He scores inside and out, rebounds, plays tough, and has elevated Erie to one of the best players in the league. I know he is undersized, is a tweener, and all that, but the guy can just play and, again, would make any team better.
Courtney Sims: A bit of an enigma to me, but I don't think it can be denied that the guy just gets it done night in and night out. There is no better scorer in the post, and what a luxury for Nick Nurse that he can go down to this polished player. He is not the most graceful player while running, and I am sure that concerns people, but when he gets it in the post, he gets it done. I am pretty sure there are many bigs in the NBA getting significant time without his skill set.
Jeff Adrien: Another undersized big, but he plays hard, rebounds, and is a presence in the paint when he gets the ball. He was a load for us to handle, and we are not the only one to struggle with him. He is leading the league in rebounding, and I think he could fill a role on a team with that specialty of rebounding and being active.
Orien Greene: I loved his versatility at the showcase. He played point or the wing, and his game never wavered wherever he was playing. I've heard he is not a great shooter, but I thought he shot well when I saw him, and I loved how active he was on defense. I have a smaller sample in terms of watching his game, but I think he is another guy who is worthy of a look from the NBA.

Those are my top five guys who I like right now, and I am sure that will change. Let me know who you like!

D-League News

2011-01-24T14:43:00.000-08:00

Here are some D-League news and notes regarding call ups:

The D-League's leading scorer, Bakersfield's Trey Johnson, was just called up to the Toronto Raptors. We faced him twice, and I thought he demonstrated that he is the top dog in terms of D-League players, and he received a worthy call up.
Mustapha Shakur of the RGV Vipers was also called up to the Washington Wizards, and he had a very strong start to his career with 5 points and 5 assists to 0 turnovers in his debut.
Chris Johnson, the long and lanky center for the Dakota Wizards, was called up to the Portland Trailblazers. He is really skinny, but he is long and athletic, and I know NBA people like that.
Larry Owens of the Tulsa 66ers was called up to San Antonio. He is a very smart, do it all player, and he is getting some minutes with San Antonio with Matt Bonner out with a knee injury.
Zabian Dowdell of the 66ers was called up some time ago to the Phoenix Suns, but he has not seen much action to this point.

The Awful Streak Continues

2011-01-24T14:37:00.000-08:00

Folks, I write to you after a frustrating weekend. I thought they would take Erie, but they just were not able to finish either game strong and ended up losing both games. As I just wrote in another comment, I can't blame anyone for their frustration, as it is a shame to see such a team that won 12 of their first 19 games fall into a complete funk.

I think the team is talented, but they are not playing very good basketball right now. The team is worst in terms of giving up field goal percentage to the other team. We have gone from being one of the best rebounding teams to one of their worst. With Darnell, Chism, AK, and one of the best rebounders in the league in Marvin Phillips, that should not happen.

More importantly, our best players just have to play better. I love our guys, and I think they are as good as any in the league, but if they are not going to play better, we are going to continue to struggle.

With that said, I believe in these guys and this team. I just don't think teams go from being one of the better ones in a league to the worst just like that. If the guys can get off this gorilla off their back, I believe they will go on a tear and get themselves back where they belong -- among the elite teams in this league. It won't be easy, and both the coaches and the players are going to have to go back to the basics -- defense, blocking out, communication, to name a few -- to get it done, but I think they will do it.

Let's hope they prove me right in Idaho!

Out of Town

2011-01-21T06:54:00.001-08:00

Loyal blog readers, I am skipping out of town for a few days to take my daughter to Disney World, so you will not seeing many -- if any -- blogs until Monday. Sorry for any inconvenience, and I hope you all send the team good thoughts as the team battles with Erie the next two nights!

Tonight's Game Against Bakersfield

2011-01-18T11:16:00.000-08:00

We have a very tough game tonight against the Bakersfield Jam tonight at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Bakersfield is red hot right now and has won 3 of their last four, including blasting us down in the showcase.

They are led by the one of the best guards in the league in Trey Johnson. He is a perennial call up candidate and leads the league in scoring with 25 per game. He has a totally complete offensive game, and he will be a load for us to manage. They also have a very good young point guard in Jeremy Wise. He is cat quick and looks like the D-League's version of Brandon Jennings. They also have a bunch of real hustling role guys, and we need to be ready to play, especially after how they beat us last time.

The team is having a rough stretch right now, but I believe the team is starting to head into the right direction. I am looking forward to a good game tonight. Hope to see you at the Coliseum!

Euro Update

2011-01-17T12:35:00.001-08:00

Time to catch up with some of our former Ants stars overseas:

Ron Howard had his best game in Australia as his 36ers won a game with Ron going for 14 and 5.
Sondy really struggled in his last game -- 0 points, 2 boards in 16 minutes. Ugh.
Coleman fared a little better 4 points and 4 boards. Don't know what is going on with our two boys in Ulm, but they are not playing their best basketball right now.
Ryan Ayers continues to put together a very good year over in Finland. He had 20 points in his last game, and he is averaging 16.5 and 6 boards on the season.
Rob Kurz had a tough last game with just 6 points and 2 boards, but that does not diminish from his strong season, as he is averaging 14 and 9.
Kyle McAlarney is really having a nice season in Greece, and he had 14 points and is averaging 14 for the year while shooting 52 percent from three.

The Wrong Type of Streak Continues

2011-01-17T12:20:00.000-08:00

A tough OT loss to the Iowa Energy last night for the guys. They played very hard, but just couldn't finish it in the end. Chris Kramer made a heck of a move at the end to tie it and got fouled, but his free throw with 2.8 seconds rimmed out, and it was all Iowa in overtime.

After watching this game, I feel very good about this team, despite the fact that we have not had much to show for our efforts in the last four games. They took the best team in the league to OT, and probably should have had it won in regulation.

The problems with this team are small, and I think they will be corrected by Coach Meyer. No doubt, a team with this type of talent will not be held down long, and I think they are due to rip some games off in a row. Regardless, if they keep working and playing together, this thing will be righted and we will be there in the end.

Hope to see you all in the Coliseum tomorrow as we try to shake this monkey off our back.

Dakota Debacle

2011-01-15T03:05:00.000-08:00

I am sitting here at 5 in the morning, still trying to figure out how our team choked what should have been a win last night away to the Dakota Wizards. Our team had one of their most dominating halfs in the first half, but our team gave them hope early on in the third quarter, and Dakota took full advantage, worked their way back, and just out toughed our team for the win.

What hurt us in the second half? A lot of very careless turnovers, a lot of foolish fouls that put them on the line, and very poor execution of the offense when we needed it most -- the fourth quarter.

This is the most disappointing loss of the season for me, because it reminds me so much of the sloppy second half play and losses that we saw from our team two seasons ago. The Mad Ants are not playing good basketball right now, and there is little doubt the coaches have a lot of work to do in rebuilding the confidence of this team as we head to two very tough games at Iowa and against Bakersfield here at home on Tuesday.

Wayne Chism

2011-01-15T02:58:00.001-08:00

As you may have read, we picked up Wayne Chism to help give us some more depth along our front line. Wayne was a four year starter at the University of Tennessee, where he is number one is games played, wins, NCAA tournament games, NCAA tourney wins, just to name a few. Indeed, this guy is a good player, and he should help us.

Wayne played a little against Bakersfield, but got his real debut against the Dakota Wizards, and I thought he played well for not having a practice with the team. He scored 11 points and grabbed 7 boards in 22 minutes.

Showcase

2011-01-15T02:51:00.001-08:00

I am back from the showcase and back on the blog. Sorry I wasn't posting down there, but I have to tell you, my health has been awful, and I guess I just didn't have it in me to blog, which isn't very fair to you good people who actually take time out of your day to read whatever tripe I put on this webpage.

The showcase down in South Padre Island went very well for the D-League, I believe, but not very well for the Mad Ants. In fact, I think we now stand a stunning 0-8 at the showcase in our four years. Maybe next year we will just save the money and not go at all!

In the first game, we played Rio Grande Valley (RGV), and it really was a good game. I felt like we were right there and actually took control in the fourth quarter, but RGV made some great plays in the end, and we had no answer for Jeff Adrien, and they went off with the win.

In the second game, we just got beat. Bakersfield out executed us, out defensed us, and played us, and we got the tail kicking we deserved. Not much to say other than that. I was really disappointed in how we played, and I think the team was, as well.

All in all, not a lot to take away from the showcase due to our two losses.

Northwest Kids Know How To Play!

2011-01-06T15:21:00.000-08:00

Whoa!

2011-01-06T04:00:00.000-08:00

Well, that was brutal. The 66ers came out ready to play, and it is pretty clear our guys did not. Tulsa was jumping the passing lanes hard, and our guys kept jumping and throwing or turning and throwing, and it would end up a steal and a layup on the other end. Hint: BALL FAKES!

Teams have these awful games from time to time, and I think sometimes it is better to just burn that tape and get it out of the team's mind. We are a good team, but it is clear that there are a lot of areas for improvement. I will look forward to a better game from our guys on Friday night.

On the DL

2011-01-04T14:41:00.001-08:00

Folks, I am in day two of my awful back spasms, and I haven't felt this pathetic in some time. It hurts to do everything, so sorry if I am slow in blogging and, frankly, everything else.

The team is off to Tulsa to face the hottest team in the D-League right now. They have their first rounder Cole Aldrich down with them, and their bench is playing as well as ours right now. In other words, we have our hands full!

In other news, the Mad Ants have fallen to third in the power rankings behind Iowa and Tulsa, but it is good to be considered one of the better teams in the league. Of course it is completely meaningless, but fun nonetheless.

Okay, back to being a wimp laying on the floor!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Painful, but Happy Start to New Year

2011-01-03T08:16:00.001-08:00

A really good start to the new year for the Ants this weekend, as the team got a sweep against the Maine Red Claws. The team continued with it's trend of giving up big leads only to bear down for exciting comeback victories.

On Saturday night, I thought the team played absolutely awful. They were down the whole game, but their true grit came shining through as the team made play after play to win the game. The biggest? For me, it was Walker's fade away runner with .2 on the clock. Maine made a bucket at the end, but the refs did not count it and we walked off with the win.

Yesterday had us again going down big, but this game was in no way in question at the end, as Chris Kramer, Carlos English, and Corey Allmond were outstanding on O and smothering on D and we won going away. It can't be overstated how good the bench was last night, as Joey didn't even put the starters in in the fourth quarter.

The only pain is the back strain I have suffered that has been aggravated due to my foolishly pushing thing by putting my lights away. I now sit in the midst of my first back spasm, and I assure you it is quite unpleasant.

Other than that, I hope everyone had a very happy and safe new year!

P

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Idaho Continues to Get Better

2010-12-30T15:57:00.000-08:00

Idaho has really remade their team in the past couple of days. Scott Schroeder is reporting that they have outright released Salim Stoudamire today and brought back Jermario Davidson. Davidson is a really talented big man who will give them a real threat down low that I don't think they have had all year. As for Salim, I thought that was a risky pick, and it seems I have been proven right. I know the Stoudamire clan well because I played with his brother Antoine (an outstanding college player), and I know they have really diverse interests, and I don't know if hoops was that important to Salim anymore. If it is, I hope he will get picked up, because he is a great kid and a great player.

Big Trade

2010-12-30T07:35:00.001-08:00

Erie made an interesting move yesterday. Erie is one of the top teams in the league right now in big part to Cedric Jackson, their point guard who was called up on numerous occasions last year. In a surprise move, they traded him last night to Idaho for a future first rounder and resigned D-League all star Blake Ahearn.

To be honest, I'm not sure how this affects Erie. Jackson and Ahearn have different strengths and weaknesses, and it will be interesting to watch how their team dynamic changes/improves/whatever tonight against a very hot Maine (4-1 in their last 5) team.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Bad Loss

2010-12-29T13:46:00.001-08:00

Last night, the Mad Ants fell to the Iowa Energy, and I think that may have been one of our worst performances of the year. Our guys came out flat, and Iowa came out ready to prove that they are still the best team in this league. They are a team of proud professionals, and I thought they won that game because they simply wanted it more. Curtis Stinson, Courtney Sims, Othyus Jeffers (a personal favorite of mine), and Kyle Weaver played as good a game as I have seen all year from an opposing team, and they were able to outlast our guys in the end.

Coaches Meyer and Gansey have a big issue to deal with right now, and that is how to make sure that this team is ready to play so they are not giving up 10-15 point leads all the time. We can't keep doing that game in and game out and expect to win, especially against the great teams in this league like Iowa.

Moreover, when we do fall behind, the team has to understand that is when you really have to depend on your system and work through the offense to get great shots every time. We kept on jacking up quick jumpers, and it was like pouring gas on a fire -- Iowa took great advantage and created a lead that we could not ultimately take back in spite of outscoring them for the rest of the game. The guys have to settle in for a long comeback by running the offense and playing great D -- not by trying to make a comeback in a desperate fashion with three quarters left to play.

I guess I am left to look at the bright side: I though Iowa played great, I thought we played poorly, and we were still right there in the final three minutes with a chance to win the game. If we can shore up some of those loose ends, we can keep rising as a team with a chance to be the top team in this league.

Chris Kramer

2010-12-28T11:39:00.000-08:00

Chris Kramer has been moved back to the active roster for the Mad Ants and will be in uniform tonight with the Mad Ants. However, do not expect him to play. He still needs a bit more time to get back into shape and test his knee in some live action at practice, so we are moving him to be with the guys and stay in uniform. Look for Chris to make his first game back with the Ants this Saturday against the Maine Red Claws.

Correspondingly, Chris Hunter was waived due to injury. He had successful surgery on his achilles with the very capable Dr. Jerry Cooper last night at FWO, and he will begin the road to recovery ASAP. I think we speak for all Mad Ants fans when we wish him the very best during this rehab, and that we will be there to support him in any way we can.

Oliver Lafayette: Player of the Week

2010-12-27T16:32:00.000-08:00

I mentioned it briefly in my recap, but it deserves more attention than just a blurb. Oliver Lafayette earned player of the week for his great efforts this past week. Oliver is clearly rounding into great form, and I am impressed with how quickly he has meshed with his teammates. I will put our three wings up with anyone right now, and I look forward to seeing their continued growth. Great work, O!

Chris Hunter

2010-12-27T16:12:00.000-08:00

Chris Hunter continues to have just awful luck in regards to injuries. On Christmas night, he was felled with a torn achilles. He had surgery today, but, needless to say, he will be out the rest of the year.

Undoubtedly a tough break, but this team is good enough to win without him, and my expectations without Chris. We will add Chris Kramer back later this week, and we will continue on our quest for a D-League championship.

Outstanding Weekend

2010-12-27T16:03:00.000-08:00

What a great weekend for Mad Ants fans! We won both games this past weekend, and we finally got the Iowa monkey off our back with our improbable come from behind win last night. An outstanding effort by our team when it was in no way playing its best. Here are my quick hit thoughts:

I thought Walker really played some great ball in the fourth quarter, especially when he struggled in the first three quarters. I think Walker struggles when he tries to do too much on the court, but let's face it, his struggles are really struggles. He is playing some of the best ball of his career and is helping this team finish games in a great way.
The other stud in the backcourt is Oliver Lafayette, who is clearly starting to find his rhythm. In fact, due to his fine play this weekend, he was just named D-League Player of the Week. A great honor for a great player.
I thought Rod Wilmont struggled like I have never seen him struggle in his shooting, but I love the way he played through it and played great D and hit a critical 15 foot jumper to give us some breathing room at the end of the game. There is no let down in this young man's effort.
What a yeoman's job by our three bigs this past game. AK played some outstanding defense, Marv hit critical shots and grabbed monstrous boards, and Darnell continued to show he is one of the best bigs in the post this year.
The comeback would not have happened without our bench play. Obi, Corey, and Carlos were just outstanding last night.

A great win for the team, and I hope they are hungry to come back with another one tomorrow night!

Jordan: Tough Running a Team

2010-12-23T06:19:00.000-08:00

I just read an article that many of you might find interesting, especially if you love Michael Jordan like I do. He is going through some real struggles with his team in Charlotte, and he is having to start all over again after he fired Larry Brown. The best advice I have received in doing this job is to trust your gut, and it sounds like he may have learned that the hard way through some draft mistakes. I really root for him (Hall of Fame speech notwithstanding), and I hope that this works out for him with Silas and Oakley. If they can add X-Man to this mix, they will indeed have the toughest coaching staff in the league!

Overseas Updates

2010-12-23T05:50:00.000-08:00

Although a recent commenter called this type of update nonsense, I do like to give people a sense of what our old players are doing, because I take great joy in seeing what our old Mad Ants are doing and that they are doing well. So, here is the latest update:

Ron Howard had his first game last night in Australia, and he had a heck of a good start for the Adelaide 36ers. He scored 17 points in 20 minutes and his team fell in overtime. Ron needed a good start with a team, and I think he got it last night. Let's hope that this is just the start of something good for Ron.
Sean Sonderleiter is seeing his minutes really decrease in Germany, and I have no idea what is going on. Sean was one of the best bigs in the D-League last year, and he was playing even better this past summer. Last game he played just 9 minutes and scored 2 points. I am sure he is frustrated, but I hope he will be patient and keep working, and I am sure everything will work out.
Jared Reiner's team lost to Sondy's Ulm team this week, and Jared scored 16 points in the loss.
Coleman Collins had probably his worst game of the season against Reiner's team with just 2 points in 16 minutes.
Rob Kurz's team in Spain stinks, and it doesn't look like he is getting many open looks right now. He shot just 2-10 in getting 9 points, but he continues to crash the boards hard with 13 rebounds. Rob continues to be one of the top performers in the ACB by being 8th in the league in scoring with 14.1 ppg and 1st in rebounding with 9.7 rpg.
Ryan Ayers continues to have a very solid season in Finland, and his team won their last game and Ryan contributed 15 points in the win.
Kyle McAlarney continues to have a solid start to his season in Greece with 11 points in a loss. Kyle looks to be shooting well, and I hope that he will continue that and last the whole season.

Some Nonsense

2010-12-22T11:56:00.000-08:00

Website

2010-12-22T11:53:00.000-08:00

I got some great feedback from readers regarding our website and how we have to do a better job of updating it. I want you all to know how thankful I am for your comments, and we are working on getting this up to speed presently. You are right -- this is not the place to come for team news, it should be the website, and we are working on trying to get that thing revamped so you can have a one stop shop for any info you need on the Mad Ants. As one of the writers mentioned, this is where people come for nonsense (I freely admit my nonsensical ways!), and we have to have something that is a bit more serious. So, thanks again for the comments and please keep them coming as we try to do a better job on updating our website.

This Week

2010-12-22T11:40:00.000-08:00

Christmas week is always a busy one for everyone, and I hope you faithful readers are done with all your shopping and ready to enjoy a restful few days before Christmas. For us, it is a bit of a different week, because we are going to be hosting the Springfield Armor on Christmas night. It could be an interesting tradition that we start, and I hope we can see many families come on out to see the Mad Ants try to push themselves to 8-4. Before I start talking about the next game, let's talk about what happened this past Sunday against the Erie BayHawks:

The guys had yet another slow and frustrating start to the game, and had me running high in the arena to prevent myself from saying something bad to the team or refs. I wanted to beat Erie badly because of the way they had handled us the previous two times we played them, and that start did not leave me in the best mood. To the team's credit, they turned it around, but the team has to show more urgency out of the gate, because it these slow starts can bite us before long.
They turned it around because they really started to click on defense and forced a number of turnovers. For the game, Erie had 31 turnovers and, as I wrote when we played Tulsa, you just can't beat good teams with that type of number for turnovers.
If there is one trait that I like about our team after these first 10-11 games, it is that there is no quit in our guys. Whether they are struggling or not, they keep plugging away, and we saw it again this past Sunday. If they can continue with that type of effort and play smart, we are going to have success.

A good win no doubt, and it leads us into a very crucial game against Springfield. Make no mistake about it, Springfield is a very talented team, and we must be ready to play for us to win this game. Moreover, if we do, we will start to pull ourselves away from a jammed back standings which seems to have 5-6 teams all hovering about 1-2 games over .500.

What a Win!

2010-12-17T19:47:00.000-08:00

As frustrated as I was about last night's game doesn't even compare to how happy and relieved I am after a gritty and gutty win by our guys tonight.

First and foremost, they did not have nearly the turnovers they did last night. Second, we held them to twelve offensive boards for the night, much improved from the night before. Finally, it just seemed like something clicked in the second half.

I IM'd my brother Zak that it felt like we were having the fight taken to us in the first half, and I was worried going into the second. But Joey must have had a great half time message, because the guys came out and destroyed Tulsa in the third. They outscored the 66ers 31-5 in the third quarter, and that has to be some type of record for the team. From there, they made a charge to get it to eight, but Walker found a cutting Oliver for a lay up, Marv grabbed a rebound on the other end, and Walker found a streaking Rod for a lay up to push it back to 12 and essentially end the game.

I think adding Oliver probably upset the apple cart and got everyone off track a bit, but it seemed to click in the third quarter, and they finished out a tough win on the road. Chris Hunter, who has been battling through injuries, should get a ton of credit for battling through some ailments to play a great game tonight. Oliver had a great second half and made huge buckets for us. Marvin Phillips was a monster and two nasty dunks on the 66ers when we needed it. Finally, Walker Russell, Jr. battled and battled and was the key cog in that second half, as evidenced by his plus 23 mark for the game (the new and fun plus/minus stat).

Great win for all. Now, we have a formidable Erie coming in that we haven't even come close to beating in three tries, and they are going to be even better because they added Jeff Adrien, a very good player who has joined the D-League after starting the season with the Golden State Warriors. But, if we focus on us, we should be fine. Go Ants!

Ron Howard to Australia

2010-12-17T08:45:00.000-08:00

Ron Howard -- fresh off the birth of his little baby girl, Peyton -- is back to work and headed Down Under to play for the Adelaide 36ers. This could be a great move for Ron, as Australia is a place where guys don't come back if they can play well and fit in.

Ron has had a couple of tough international stops thus far, but here is hoping this one will due the trick and will be the start of a long, successful overseas career.

Last Night's Game in Tulsa

2010-12-17T08:28:00.001-08:00

I thought last night's game was very disappointing, because we had yet another shot to bring a game home that we should have won. Yet, we (no team for that matter) can beat a team as good as Tulsa (and make no mistake, they are very good) if you commit 30 turnovers. Tulsa has a very good defense, but our turnovers were high because of how careless the team was with the ball. Indeed, in tennis parlance, we had a ton of unforced errors. Lazy outlet passes negated good defensive stops, lack of ball fakes made for easy steals, and weak, lazy cross court passes led to fast break points for the 66ers.

Shot selection was another thing that was head scratching. The 66ers had no answers for our three headed monster down low (Phillips 21 points, Lazare 16 points, and Hunter 17 points), but it seemed like we could have gone down low to them more to let them go to work. If the big men are being that productive, the guards have to get them ball and let them go to work. If Tulsa doubles, it is going to create easier shots for everyone, and the guards will be able to shoot open instead of contested jumpers.

Finally, the team was atrocious on the defensive boards. Tulsa had 24 offensive rebounds and Latavious Williams had 10 of those. Two words will help eliminate that -- block out!

With all that said, the team still had a chance to win in regulation (a credit to their never say die attitude -- these guys keep battling no matter what!), and another shot to win in overtime, but couldn't pull it out. And, frankly, they probably shouldn't have pulled the game out with such a sloppy performance. In fact, we have lost two games in row due to careless, sloppy play by our guys, and we have to expect more from this team. They are playing hard, but I don't think they are playing very smart, and if a team does not put both those elements together, they will lose like they did last night. Every team in this league has enough talent to win on any given night, and we are going to sit here with a lot of could ofs and should ofs if this team doesn't realize that immediately.

Can you tell I am still a little more than peeved about last night's loss?! The good news is that Joey will get it straightened out, and these guys work very hard with one goal in mind -- winning. Let's see if we can't get back on the right track tonight.

Lafayette Back with the Ants!

2010-12-17T08:25:00.001-08:00

Alright, I have been busy beyond belief, and it is cutting into my blogging time! The best news (and a bit late on here) is that we have Oliver Lafayette back on the team. This is obviously a huge shot in the arm for an already good team. Oliver is one of the best players to ever wear our jersey, and he led us to the most success we have ever had on the basketball court.

He should fit in well with Walker and Rod on the wings, and it gives us another ball handler who can go and get his own shot when needed. This is a big signing for us, and once they all start to mesh, could mean we go on a nice little run.

The Past Weekend

2010-12-14T03:59:00.001-08:00

Some good, some bad this past weekend with our games against the Texas Legends. Here are my quick hit thoughts on the games:

SATURDAY NIGHT:

Really a great win for us in the first game of the back to back. The team got down by 15 in the second quarter, but systematically worked its way back in it, and took over for good once they got the lead in the third quarter.
Walker Russell, Jr. continued his fine play with 20 points, 11 assists, and only 1 turnover, and Darnell Lazare had his best game with the Mad Ants with 29 points and 10 boards.
Beyond those two great games, I thought Anthony Kent had his best game with the Mad Ants. With Chris Hunter going down with a back injury, AK came in and gave us a great spark by hitting the boards and giving us some great looks in the post. I thought he had a very nice weekend overall.
Corey Allmond was fantastic behind the arc hitting 7-11 on his way to a career high 24 points. He still has a long way to go in regards to his play on the defensive end and being more consistent offensive end to be considered a quality, NBA caliber prospect, but he is working every day to get better, and I think fans got to see a glimpse of his potential on Saturday night.

SUNDAY NIGHT:

This was a really disappointing loss, because all the chips fell our way in terms of a possibility of a sweep. The Legends had lost two of their best players the previous night in Joe Alexander and Domique Jones, and they were certainly short handed. The worry in these situations is that the team in our situation will exhale and think they are going to just walk out on the court and win, and I think our guys fell into that trap and ended up losing the game. We had a chance to show that we are one of the elite teams in this league by putting forth a professional effort that did not take anything for granted, but we showed we are merely a good team by letting the Legends walk out with a well deserved win for their great effort.
How lackluster were the Ants? Two players who barely played the night before -- Matt Rogers and Reece Hampton -- combined for 47 points, 23 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Honestly, it really upsets me just writing that.
I was really pleased with parts of the play of our big men. Marvin Phillips scored 19 points and 15 rebounds, Darnell Lazare continued his fine play with 24 points and 10 rebounds, and Anthony Kent contributed 7 points off the bench, but they can't allow quality players like Rogers and Hampton (who, may I repeat, barely played the night before) go off for career nights like that.
Our guards shot poorly, but that happens. What can't happen is how poorly they all played on defense. Booker Woodfox, who has improved greatly from our training camp last year and is doing shooting wise what I envisioned he would do for us when we drafted him, was left open time and time again by defenders who clearly forgot what the scouting report said -- he is a great shooter! If you don't find a shooter early, you will get beat when he hits three after three on you, and that is what happened here. Further, the constant penetration to the middle collapsed the defense and left guys like Booker wide open for threes. For us to move into being an elite team (which I think we can be), we have to shore up these fundamental defensive lapses.

Clearly, I am still smarting from losing the opportunity for our team to move to 6-2, but I believe our team will learn the valuable lesson that all teams/players in this league need to be respected to in the utmost, and I think we will see our team scrap and work to get to the elite level I think they can be at.

Finally, in other news, with the Chris Hunter injury, he is suffering some leg issues, and we will see how he practices today. If he can go and feels better, we will send him to Tulsa. If not, we will go without him.

Anthony Goods Joins the Mad Ants

2010-12-09T18:29:00.000-08:00

With Chris Kramer on the disabled list, we have picked up Anthony Goods to fill in. Anthony was our last cut this year, and I am happy to have him in a Mad Ants uniform. In any other year, Anthony would be on this team, but we are deep this year, and we thought we had other needs, an that is why he was ultimately let go. He should really help with the defense we will be missing with Chris, and he should further improve our shooting, because he can really knock it down from the perimeter.

Chris Kramer

2010-12-08T18:48:00.000-08:00

Looks like good and bad news with Chris Kramer. He is hurt and will miss some games, but it is not the multi month injury that I feared when I saw him limping off the court. It is a sprain of his MCL area, and he will be out about two to three weeks. Sorry to lose him to injury, but happy it is not worse than expected.

Interesting Article on Rehab Stints

2010-12-07T06:02:00.000-08:00

One of the things that all D-League teams hope will come out of the collective bargaining agreement negotiations is the ability for NBA teams to send players to their D-League affiliates. Imagine having the bump in attendance that sending down a Roger Clemens or Manny Ramirez occur in the D-League if we got Shaq or some other top name to come down to get into shape.

In Sioux Falls, we are currently getting a bit of a test case in that with Johnny Flynn of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Johnny was the fifth or sixth pick in the NBA draft last year and had a solid year by scoring 13 points per game over 81 games. He has been shelved for the last 4 months due to hip surgery, and, to get him in better game condition, the T-Wolves have sent him to Sioux Falls for a few games to get some game time experience.

This is a great thing for Sioux Falls, but it is potentially a great thing for all D-League teams if other NBA teams see the value in this and use us this way. Here is the link to the article.

Chris Kramer Update

2010-12-07T05:56:00.000-08:00

Tom Renz asked a question about Chris Kramer and his condition in one of the comments on a blog post, and I thought I would just post something to try to get people as up to date as possible.

Chris was injured just 17 seconds into the game last Saturday in Springfield with what looks to be a knee injury. He will go in for an MRI with Dr. Jerry Cooper from FWO/Ortho Hospital today at noon, and we will know then what the extent of the injury is. As for what it could be, I am just not sure, and I don't want to speculate. I do know he was hobbling on it after the game, but there was not significant swelling, so I am hoping those are good signs.

If Chris cannot play this weekend, we will certainly have to have Obi Muonelo and Corey Allmond step up in his place. Both have shown flashes of great play, but neither have demonstrated the type of consistency in knowing the offense and defensive play that Chris has demonstrated. So, as the old saying goes in football, it will be next man up if Chris is out, and they will have to play much better to make up for the loss of Chris. The good news: they essentially did do that in the last game, because Chris did only play 17 seconds, and Corey and Obi filled in and we got the win.

As for the final diagnosis, I will have that later today and will update the blog with the info.

Mad Ants Stats Leaders

2010-12-06T13:11:00.001-08:00

Here are where some of our guys rank in the league stats:

Scoring:

Rod Wilmont is fifth in the league in scoring with 21.3 ppg

Walker Russell, Jr. is thirtieth in the league with 16 ppg

Rebounding:

Marvin Phillips is third in the league in rebounding with 9.8 rpg

Darnell Lazare is thirty first in the league with 6.3 rpg

Assists:

Walker Russell, Jr. is second in the league in assists with 8.8 apg

Carlos English is forty third in the league in assists with 2.8 apg

Double Doubles:

Marvin Phillips is tied for second with three double doubles

Walker Russell, Jr. is tied for second with three double doubles

Blocked Shots:

Marvin Phillips is seventh in the league with 1.8 bpg

Free Throw Pct:

Chris Kramer is third in the league with 95% from the line

Marvin Phillips is fourth in the league with 94.7% from the line

Steals:

Marvin Phillips is tied for second in the league with 2.5 spg

Overseas Updates

2010-12-06T12:58:00.000-08:00

We are losing more and more Mad Ants overseas right now, as it no one knows where in the world Oliver Lafayette is, and Taj McCullough got cut from his team in Australia. Of those left overseas, here is how they did in the past few days:

Sean Sonderleiter got the start, played 21 minutes, and scored 4 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. Not a great game for Sondy.
Coleman Collins scored 6 points and grabbed 7 boards in the same game, as Ulm dropped one to a tough Telekom Baskets team.
Jared Reiner had a tough night against Bremerhaven as his team got bounced by 30, and he scored 8 points and grabbed 8 boards.
In a 2 overtime thriller, Ryan Ayers Finnish team won a tough game. Ryan scored 13 points and grabbed 7 boards in the win.
Kyle McAlarney scored 9 points in a 2 point win for his Ikaros team in Greece.
Rob Kurz continues to feel the difficulty of losing Granada's second best player, Joe Ingles. Rob scored 13 points and grabbed 7 boards before fouling out. His team is really struggling without Ingles and no one seems to be able to provide Rob much help out there.
Jamelle Cornley had one of his worst games in the Uruguayan league as his team dropped yet another game, this time to Olimpia. Jamelle scored 11 points and grabbed 6 boards in the loss.

Walker: Player of the Week!

2010-12-06T12:53:00.001-08:00

Congrats to Walker Russell, Jr. for being named the D-League Player of the Week! It was clearly a well deserved honor after the back to back wins he helped deliver this past weekend in Maine and Springfield. Walker averaged 24.5 rebounds, 12.5 assists, and 3.5 rebounds this past week. Chris Hunter was also named a top performer for the week by averaging 20 points and 8 boards for the week. Ominous by his absence from the top performer list: Rod Wilmont. Let me throw him in the mix with his 24 points per game for the week. Rod also raised his average to 21.8 ppg on the season. Great job by these three and all the other Ants!

A Great Weekend Sweep!

2010-12-06T12:30:00.000-08:00

Our Mad Ants had a great weekend this past weekend in Maine and Springfield. Here are my quick hit thoughts on each game:

Mad Ants v. Maine:

Our guys got off to an incredible start, pushed the lead up into the twenties, and essentially coasted from there. Maine made a late run, but that usually happens in these types of games (trust me, I have plenty of experience with losing big early), and the guys closed it out for a great road win.
Walker Russell, Jr. had his best game of the season 18 and 12, Rod Wilmont chipped in 20, Chris Hunter scored 18 in 19 minutes, and Chris Kramer knocked down 15 in the teams most complete performance of the season.
The key to the game as I saw it was the team's crisp execution on offense. I thought they got anything they wanted on the offensive end, and the defense was quite stout.

Mad Ants v. Springfield

The Mad Ants hung tough all game long and eventually wore the Armor out to get the weekend sweep.
It didn't look good when the Ants were down 10 with 5 to go, but Walker got the come back started with two free throws, and the team went on a 8-2 to get the game down to 2 with 2 minutes left to go.
Terrence Williams then hit a three to push it to 5, but Wilmont came down and hit yet another clutch three pointer to keep the margin at 2. From there, the teams went back and forth until, with the Armor down two, JamesOn Curry hit a clutch 20 footer with .8 seconds to go, and the game eventually went to OT.
In OT, the game was all Mad Ants. The team ran off 6 straight points and hit every clutch free throw necessary down the stretch and got every stop they needed to close out a tough and gritty win.
Walker Russell trumped his great game in Maine with an even better game in Springfield. He scored 31 points and had 13 assists and really controlled the game. Just a marvelous performance.
Rod Wilmont had an equally gutty performance. He guarded the Terrence Williams on one end -- no small task -- and still was able to attack on the other end and ended with 28 points. He had some fantastic shots, but none bigger than the two threes he hit in the last few minutes of the game to keep us close
I thought our three bigs were terrific as well. Chris Hunter scored 22 points and 9 rebounds, Marvin Phillips continued his great play with 12 points and 12 rebounds, and Darnell Lazare scored 20 points, 6 rebounds, and added 5 assists.
The best stat of them all -- 7 turnovers all game in an OT game. That is stunning, and the type of urgency and concern with the ball that we did not show against Erie last weekend. It looks like the guys really started to click this weekend, and it showed especially in that stat.
The bad news -- Chris Kramer went down to injury in the first 17 seconds of the game. I have no idea of what the extent of the injury it is, but it appears to be an MCL injury. We will know tomorrow how he is and how long he will be out.

All in all, a great weekend. But, as always, we go right down to the bottom of the heap with a new and difficult challenge against an outstanding Texas team.

Other Team News

2010-12-02T10:31:00.001-08:00

In other team news, the Mad Ants have activated Chris Hunter from the injured list (or whatever the D-League calls it) and have waived Adam Zahn to make room for him. Chris had spent the better part of the summer injured, and he was really struggling in training camp with some lingering aches and pains. He has diligently worked to get himself in a position to play, and he told me yesterday that he is ready to go. I would not expect a ton from Chris right out of the box, as he still is not in the great game shape to this point, but it always helps a team when you get a NBA caliber center back in your lineup.

The tough news is that we had to let a player with a lot of upside go in Adam Zahn. Adam gave us some good minutes, but he is still raw as a player, and I hope he continues to work and get better, because he has a lot of tools that could help him be successful.

Chris will be playing his first game tomorrow in Maine against the mighty Red Claws, who will have two new pick ups themselves. The first pick up isn't brand new, but he has only played two games for them, and I classify that as new. Deshawn Sims from the University of Michigan is off to a hot start for the Red Claws and is averaging 20 and 10 in his two games. The other new player will be Northeastern product Matt Janning. He is a heck of a shooter and scorer, and he made the Suns out of training camp. He will provide Maine a nice lift.

By The Way...

2010-12-02T10:30:00.001-08:00

...if you wanted to see how close we were to getting Oliver back, check out this article. Looks like he had turned other offers down -- the one from Aris must have been a good one.

Oliver to Greece

2010-12-02T10:19:00.000-08:00

I know some people were excited at the prospect of Oliver potentially coming back to the Mad Ants (my brother, my dad, and, yes, me), but it looks like my earlier prognostication turned out to be correct. A very smart team in Europe picked up his contract and signed him for a two month deal. Oliver will be heading over to Aris Thessaloniki (a gorgeous city -- I highly recommend a visit) to demonstrate his talents. Good luck to Oliver -- we will miss him!

Lance Stephenson: Will He or Won't He

2010-12-02T05:56:00.000-08:00

Last night, I was cooking a delicious ham and potato chowder for me to eat for lunch the next few days when I decided to check out the twitter I account I never use. I was very surprised to see that there were reports out of the Pacers camp that they were planning on sending Lance Stephenson to the Mad Ants. This was news to me, because I have heard nothing from the Pacers regarding sending any players down, and their history would indicate that they have no intention of sending any players down.

For those of you who don't know Stephenson, he is an immensely talented player that the Pacers drafted in the second round from the University of Cincinnati. He really played well for Indy this summer in the Orlando Summer League, and I thought he was one of the best players there. In fact, he is generally regarded by all the draft experts as a first round talent. Why did he fall in the draft? Well, the reason this first round talent fell to the second round is that Stephenson is also a very controversial player who has severe off the court issues, including a recent guilty plea and another arrest this summer.

With the prospect of Stephenson joining us, I was planning on calling the Pacers today to see if this story is true. But, it looks like the idea of a move for Stephenson is in no way imminent. As you can see from the article, the Pacers have a philosophy that it is better to be around and practice with the big club rather than get in games. I, obviously, am on the complete opposite side. I believe players don't get better by limited reps in practice and two on two games before the team plays. I understand a player needing to learn a system, but I feel that need pales in comparison to the need of a player to get on the court -- in a professional atmosphere with very good competition -- to really improve. For example, Solomon Alabi has been able to put all the things he has been working on with the Raptors to work in a game situation, and he will be that much more comfortable when he goes back to the Raptors. This could also be the case with the Pacers young players, but I certainly can understand their point of view.

So, Mad Ants fans, it looks like it will still be a while before we see a Pacers player wearing a Mad Ants uniform.

More Assignments

2010-11-30T19:17:00.000-08:00

Just our luck, a couple of future opponents have just gained assigned players from their NBA clubs. First, the Springfield Armor got Craig Brackins from the 76ers. Brackins is a 3/4 man from Iowa State who looked to be a very good scorer in summer league, but he has not received much run this season.

The second is the aforementioned Dominique Jones, who may be with the Texans when they come to Fort Wayne to play next week.

We won't see this team for sometime, but New Mexico got Kentucky big man Daniel Orton today from the Orlando Magic.

I can't remember this many assignments this early in the season.

Texas Legends Home Opener

2010-11-30T19:12:00.000-08:00

The Texas Legends had a great opening night tonight down in Frisco as they whooped up on the Austin Toros. They have a ton of talent, and I thought Rashad McCants looked like a man among boys in his time down there. He must really have some issues for teams to have completely given up on that stud.

Another stud for the Legends tonight -- Joe Alexander. We had Joe here last year and let's be honest -- he was not very good. I think we were winless with him down here before he was traded to the Bulls, and it looked sometimes like he had never played the game before. Tonight, I thought he looked much improved and far more in rhythm than he ever was in Fort Wayne. I am really happy to see his success, because I thought he was a great kid.

The Legends had a great night, and if they are able to keep moving players like Dominique Jones up and down all year long, they will continue to be one of the better teams in the league. The question will be how long studs like McCants and Joe last before being called up.

Congrats to everyone in Frisco on what looked to be a great night!

Interesting Moves Today

2010-11-29T15:50:00.001-08:00

The Idaho Stampede were very active today on the trade market as they traded Lance Allred and a number one pick in next year's draft for Dontell Jefferson and Carlos Wheeler. On top of that, they have picked up Antoine Walker, which is probably the most historic signing in DLeague history. This is a former max player and world champion, and I think it is a coup for Bill Ilett, Randy Livingston, and the entire Stampede organization to sign him. Great for the Stampede and great for the league. To finalize the day, they shipped former Mad Ant Walter Sharpe to the Dakota Wizards for a future draft pick.

How They Did Abroad

2010-11-29T15:22:00.000-08:00

Here is the update of our guys overseas:

Oliver Lafayette has been released, but he did play this weekend and scored 9 points in a loss. That loss was probably the final straw for Oliver, and he will now be looking for a new job.
Ryan Ayers scored his usual 17 and pulled down his usual 8 boards as his Namika team lost to my old high school teammate, head coach Ray Ailus and Kotka.
Sammy Mejia is becoming one of the best players overseas, as he continued his fine play with 28 points in Cholet's win over Le Havre. Sammy is second in the French League in scoring and his team is playing very well in the Euroleague. When I was in Cholet practicing with them as I was trying to rehab and get in shape after an injury, I could not have imagined that they could be so successful or have the budget to compete in the Euroleague. Kudos to Cholet and Sammy.
Ulm lost to Trier this weekend, and Sean Sonderleiter scored 6 points and had 6 boards in 16 minutes. I guess he must not be playing very well, because I thought he would be playing more.
In the same game, Coleman Collins looks to be playing very well with 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists and may be the reason for Sean's decreased minutes. He has really been playing well in the last few games.
Jared Reiner had a monster game for Bayreuth with 26 points and 10 boards in a close loss. Great job by Jared and let's hope that fine play continues.
Rob Kurz had 13 points and 8 boards as his team lost again. I think it is tough for Rob right now because he doesn't look to have a lot of help right now. Another solid game, but another loss for Rob and Granada.
Jamelle Cornley had 21 points and 4 boards in a nice win for Cader.
Taj McCullough scored 10 points and 5 boards in a Sydney Kings loss in Australia.

Oliver Lafayette Released from Partizan

2010-11-29T15:14:00.000-08:00

Bad news for Oliver in Serbia -- he was released today from Partizan Belgrade. Not sure where he goes from here, but I suspect he will have another big money job in the waiting. I sense he is going to be a Earl Calloway type the rest of his career -- he will stay in Europe because the money that will be offered will be far too much to turn down. Sorry it didn't work out in Partizan for him, but I am sure his next stop will be much more successful.

Way Late!

2010-11-29T14:10:00.000-08:00

Okay, I have a lot of excuses for my poor blogging lately, like I have been sick, I have had to do some single parenting while my wife has been away, we have been in the holiday season, and, by the way, we have been playing games!

Let's get to my thoughts on the last two games:

I thought we did not play especially well the past two games, but before I break down some of the things we did or did not do, let me say a quick word about Erie to keep things a bit in perspective. They are a very good team, and I think they are extremely well coached. You never know how new coaches will do in this league, but it is clear that Jay Larranaga is well on his way to being a top flight head coach. As for their team, I think they are a good team without their NBA additions, but they are a top two or three team in the league with them. What ultimately hurt us against them was the tremendous length and athleticism Solomon Alabi, Ed Davis, and Christain Eyenga added to that team. They made it very difficult for our bigs to do much around the hoop, and they all but eliminated any type of penetration by our guards. They are a great team right now, and I thought it a good measuring stick of where we need to be if we want to contend for a championship.
With that said, I thought we made some very correctable mistakes that would have given us a split and pushed us up to the upper echelon of teams in this league. In that first game, we win that game if our guys are not so careless with the ball and show some urgency with it. We were throwing the ball all over the place, and no team can win against great teams like Erie with that sort of carelessness with the ball.
What I did like about the team demonstrated in each game is the grit these guys have. They will not give up at any point, and they gave themselves a chance to win each game, especially the first one.
I think Rod Wilmont has demonstrated that he is one of the better wings in this league. He still has a long way to go, but it is clear he is much improved from previous seasons and on his way to a career year.
Marvin Phillips and Chris Kramer have given us the toughness I imagined from them, and I am impressed with how Marv is shooting the ball right now.
Everyone else I think is playing fine, and I think they will only get better as the team gets more and more comfortable with the system.
I am heartened by the team's ability to fight back, but I am equally disheartened in how slow our team gets out of the gates. First, again, we just can't be that careless with the ball to start games off. In each game, we had multiple unforced turnovers that put us in big holes. Second, we have to come out with some focus and desire to take the fight to the other team rather than just wait and feel things out. Our guys can dictate what happens early, but they seem tentative right now and not completely comfortable in what they are doing. That comfort factor will come with time, but they can come out in the next game and play with greater desire in the first quarter.

With all that said, I guess I am an optimist, because I just think the things that caused us to lose those two games are easy fixes. Some of the defensive lapses we had are easy fixes. The silly turnovers can be remedied easily. So, no, I am not displeased or discouraged with where we are right now at all. In fact, I am quite eager to see what we do once we get everything all on the same page. I think we will do nothing but get better.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T19:54:00.001-08:00

Here is a little sweet Thanksgiving treat for you: