Team History
2007-08: The Inaugural Season
Basketball returned to Fort Wayne. This announcement, met with approval from a city looking for revival of Indiana's homegrown sport, signified the return of basketball to Fort Wayne, an entertainment outlet left vacant since the sale of the Zollner Pistons in 1974 and the cessation of the CBA’s Fort Wayne Fury in 2001. Next on the premature timeline for the newly founded Fort Wayne Mad Ants was the announcement that the NBA would pair the Mad Ants with the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers, allowing both teams to assign players in their first two seasons to play in Fort Wayne. In the organization’s first ever “Take Off to the NBA” Mad Ant Open Tryout, more than 70 basketball hopefuls traveled from around the country to be a contribution to the team’s inaugural season. The future "Mr. Mad Ant," Ron Howard, who was then fresh off his playing career at Valparaiso University, attended those open tryouts to begin his Mad Ants career. Coached by lead man Kent Davison, who spent time as head coach for the Colorado 14ers and assistant coach Jaren Jackson Sr., the duo led the first year Mad Ants to a NBA D-League fourth place spot in the Central Division with a record of 17-32.
Jeremy Richardson was selected second overall in the 2007 D-League Expansion Draft by the Mad Ants. In his time in Fort Wayne, Richardson was selected to the 2008 NBA D-League All-Star Game where he later was named the game’s MVP with his 22 point performance for the Blue Team. Earlier that season, he checked in as a D-League Performer of the Week for the week of December 3rd, where in a two game span, he averaged 35 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Richardson became the first Mad Ant to receive an NBA Call-Up; he received 10-day contracts from the Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs, and the Atlanta Hawks.
Earl Calloway received All D-League Honorable Mention through his one season with Fort Wayne; Calloway averaged 19.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists.
Sammy Mejia, who was drafted by the Detroit Pistons and eventually waived, played with the Mad Ants and was a recipient of the D-League Performer of the Week honors just three weeks after teammate Jeremy Richardson. He ended his career with the Mad Ants, averaging 19.7 points and 8.4 rebounds, to then play with the Greek Basketball League.
2008-09: Early Beginnings
Assistant coach Jaren Jackson Sr., who was fresh off a short coaching stint in Canada, returned for another season with the Mad Ants to serve as the new head coach aided by assistants Kevin Whitted and Doug Noll. Jackson led the Mad Ants to a 19-31 record, which finished fifth place finish in the Central Division.
After being sidelined by injury, the Mad Ants acquired Chris Hunter out of the University of Michigan. In his first season with the Mad Ants, Hunter found himself as a member of the All D-League Second Team and a selection for the 2009 NBA D-League All-Star game - where he put up 12 points for the Blue Team. In 47 games with the Mad Ants, Hunter averaged 19.3 points and 9.4 rebounds. Before the conclusion of the 2008-09 season, Hunter received a Gatorade Call Up with the New York Knicks.
At the end of the season, second year Mad Ant Walker Russell set a league record for assists in a season with 509. Through that and other success during the season, Russell was awarded to the All D-League Honorable Mention team. Along with teammate Chris Hunter, Russell was named to the 2009 NBA D-League All-Star Game, where he finished with 14 points and 8 assists for the Blue Team. Russell was the third Mad Ant to receive the D-League Performer of the Week honor (for the week of January 20th) and concluded his second bout with Fort Wayne averaging 16.1 points and a league leading 10.8 assists.
2009-10: Creating a Stride
After two full seasons in the D-League completed, the Mad Ants were again under new leadership with head coach Joey Meyer, who had spent several years in Tulsa’s basketball organization, with assistant coaches Mike Sanders and Vitaly Potapenko. While the majority of the season, lasting from late November until the end of February, left the Mad Ants halted at a 13-23 record; a well constructed 9-5 finish concluded the third year at 22-28. The Mad Ants experienced the season's first and earliest NBA call-up, before any games of the regular season even began with Chris Hunter receiving his chance to play for the Golden State Warriors. Hunter went on to play 60 games with the Warriors, where he started nine games and finished the season averaging 4.5 points and 2.8 rebounds.
Ron Howard, who now was in his third year with the Mad Ants, was honored with his first nomination to play in the 2010 NBA D-League All-Star Game. He finished with 6 points and 2 assists for the East.
Rob Kurz, who spent his first season out of the University of Notre Dame with the Golden State Warriors in 2008-09, played 39 games with the Mad Ants during the 2009-10 season. It was through his 17.49 points and 10.13 rebounds per game that Kurz found himself a member of the All D-League Second Team, a member of the NBA D-League All-Star Game (finished with 9 points and 10 rebounds), a Co-Performer of the Week for the week of April 5th with teammate Oliver Lafayette, and a participant in the Three Point Shootout Contest during the D-League All-Star Weekend. By the end of the season, Kurz received a Call-Up with the Chicago Bulls. In April, teammate Lafayette signed with the Boston Celtics where he finished their season.
2010-11: Year of Improvements
In the past three seasons, the organization had gone from a 17-33 first-year finish, up to a 24-26 finish. In his second year in Fort Wayne, Joey Meyer led the Mad Ants as head coach after composing a 22-28 finish in his first season with the team. Alongside Meyer, assistant coach Steve Gansey joined the Mad Ants for his first season in Fort Wayne. From the start of November into the start of the New Year, the Mad Ants achieved a 9-4 mark to set the pace into the new season. After a seven-game skid opened January, the Mad Ants struggled to correct themselves and get back on their winning ways. For the remainder of the schedule until the team’s last game in April, they put together a 7-6 run and ended their fourth season in the D-League with a win at home against the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Through the 2010-11 season schedule, the Mad Ants were able to pull out the 8-0 season sweep of the Springfield Armor, capping their third place finish in the Eastern Division.
Walker Russell and Oliver Lafayette each received NBA D-League Performer of the Week honors in the weeks of December 5th and December 27th respectively. Lafayette finished his 21 game season with the Mad Ants averaging 16.38 points, while Russell went on to average 17.73 points and 7.9 assists. Russell received his selection to the D-League All-Star Game as a replacement, recording 9 points for the East.
Located just a half hour from Fort Wayne, Huntington North High School standout and Purdue graduate, Chris Kramer, joined the Mad Ants after spending time with the Milwaukee Bucks for training camp. Kramer’s stats on the year held him to an average 13.50 points and 3.86 rebounds in his 42 game season.
2011-12: Hitting a Lull
Entering his third year as Mad Ants head coach, Joey Meyer again was assisted by Steve Gansey for the start of the 2011-12 season. After opening up the season with a victory at home against Sioux Falls and their first road win on the season against the Springfield Armor, the undefeated pace would not hold. After dropping all ten games in the month of February, the Mad Ants found themselves under the new leadership of Steve Gansey, who was promoted to head coach, while Christian Laettner, would serve as Gansey’s new assistant. Before March was over, the team sat with a 1-7 record on the month, checking in at 11-33 overall. Despite a 2-1 April finish and ending the season with a win over the Dakota Wizards, the Mad Ants sat in eighth place in the Eastern Division with a 14-36 record.
In March, Walker Russell earned an invitation to the 2012 D-League All-Star Game along with teammate Darnell Lazare. Russell finished with a 9 point and 10 assist performance, while Lazare finished with 13 points and 6 rebounds for the East. Russell received earlier honors as the NBA D-League Performer of the Week for the week of December 5th; he ended his final season with the Mad Ants averaging 16 points and 9.9 assists.
In his rookie season with Fort Wayne, Cameron Jones, out of the University of Northern Arizona, averaged with 14.04 points, which earned him the honor of being named to the All-Rookie First Team.
2012-13: Dawn of a New Era
Under the new leadership of head coach Duane Ticknor, who served previously as an assistant with Sioux Falls, and assistant coach Steve Gansey, the Mad Ants were looking to wipe the 14-36 slate clean. The start of a new season did not immediately fulfill the strong aspirations intended with a 1-8 start to December, but the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013 showed vast improvement through a promising 12-game stretch going 9-3 and getting the season back on track. By the end of March, a four-game win streak, highlighted by a 49-point game performance from Tony Mitchell and a 15-rebound showcase from Brandon Wallace against Sioux Falls, pushed the team to a 27-22 record. With a loss to the Tulsa 66ers to end their season, the Mad Ants finished second in the Eastern Division with a 27-23 overall record. This stood as the first winning season the team recorded in their history. The organization was rewarded with their first playoff appearance, set to face the Santa Cruz Warriors. In the first game of the playoff series, the Mad Ants fell at home to the Warriors before eventually dropping the final game on the road to end their run.
Tony Mitchell, in his rookie season out of Alabama, was honored as the D-League’s Rookie of the Year, as a member of the All D-League First Team, and was named to the NBA D-League Showcase Honorable Mention Team. His success at the 2013 NBA D-League All-Star weekend paired him with the Futures squad, but also led him to the 2013 Slam Dunk Champion title. In this season, Mitchell also recorded two D-League Performer of the Week honors for the weeks of January 7th and March 25th; he translated those honors into becoming a D-League Player of the Month for the month of March. He finished the 2012-13 season averaging 21.85 points and 5.9 rebounds.
Ron Howard joined in the successes of the 2012-13 season as the Jason Collier Sportsmanship Award Winner and a member of the All D-League Honorable Mention Team and the D-League All-Showcase Third Team. Howard played in the 2013 NBA D-League All-Star Game and aided 16 points and 5 assists for the Futures.
Luke Harangody led the Mad Ants in the month of January with his D-League Player of the Week honors for the week of January 14th, but also named Player of the Month for January. In that time, Harangody led the team in points and rebounds in three consecutive game and in five overall games for the month, earning him a spot on the D-League Showcase First Team. Receiving honors for the 2012-13 season would also include Sadiel Rojas, who in his second season with Fort Wayne was named to the All-Defensive Third Team.
2013-14: Rise of the Champions
The previous season marked the first successful winning season since the inauguration of the team in 2007, but also the clinching of the first playoff berth in team history. Heading into a new season, Steve Gansey, maintained his assistant coaching role, while Conner Henry replaced Duane Ticknor (who received a call up from the Memphis Grizzlies as an assistant coach in 2013) as the new Mad Ants head coach. Beginning the February schedule, the Mad Ants gradually began picking up momentum, finishing that portion of the season with only five losses and eventually ended their regular season slate at 34-16, good for first place in the Eastern Division, and also the D-League’s best record. When the Mad Ants headed into the final week of March, they defeated the Austin Spurs 119-111 on a Sunday afternoon. The Mad Ants would not drop another game the remainder of the 2013-14 season and went on to an undefeated postseason run ending with a two-game sweep of the Santa Cruz Warriors for the 2014 D-League Finals. That six-game undefeated postseason run included three different two-game sweeps en route to the title. The 2013-14 team registered the first division title and championship for Fort Wayne, but also extended honors to Coach Henry as the D-League Coach of the Year and to Mad Ants president, Jeff Potter, as the D-League Team Executive of the Year.
Ron Howard, who had been with the Mad Ants since 2007, put together his most successful season in Fort Wayne starting with an invitation to the 2014 NBA D-League All-Star game, named Co-Most Valuable Player, became the winner of the Jason Collier Sportsmanship Award, named a member of the NBA D-League Third Team, and was honored on the All D-League First Team. Howard ended the season averaging 20.5 points, which helped him to secure the position of the all-time leading scorer in NBA D-League history.
Tony Mitchell finished his season with the Mad Ants as a member of the All D-League Third Team, sitting right behind teammate Ron Howard with an average of 20.2 points. Mitchell, who is well remembered with his monster playoff dunk, won the D-League Dream Factory Slam Dunk Championship in March.
Trey McKinney-Jones, in his first year out of the University of Miami, reserved his place on the Third Team All-Rookie squad and was named to the NBA D-League Second Team All-Showcase. Sadiel Rojas registered as a member of the All-Defensive Second Team and Tim Ohlbrecht was a member of the All D-League Honorable Mention Team.
2014-15: Duplicating Success
The Mad Ants tipped off the 2014-15 season by raising their banners from a successful undefeated championship run the previous season. With head coach Conner Henry still in control, and the addition of Jaren Jackson Sr. as Henry's newest assistant, the team set out to do one thing - repeat as Champions. Despite a tough first two months of the season, finishing 8-10 by the start of the calendar turning to 2015, the Mad Ants found their stride going into the new year, winning the first eight games on their January schedule. Heading into March, the team was riding a 14-5 stretch before losing their footing with a 0-5 mark to start March play. The Mad Ants found victory in a vital two-game home-and-home sweep of Sioux Falls, which allowed them to finish the regular season 28-22, good for a third consecutive year with a winning record. With a new playoff system in effect, the Mad Ants finished second in the Central Division; grounds to qualify them for yet another playoff berth and a first round match-up with the Maine Red Claws, a team the Mad Ants finished 1-3 with on the year. While perfection in the playoffs was obtained last year via three 2-0 sweeps, this team was able to sweep past Maine and the Canton Charge en route to returning to the 2015 NBA D-League Championship series against no other than the 2014 D-League Runners-Up, Santa Cruz. Back-to-back Eastern Conference Championship titles were achieved, but a repeat of the D-League Championship was just out of reach with the Warriors' 2-0 sweep to earn them Championship hardware.
Andre Emmett, who was selected by the Mad Ants in the second round of the 2014 NBA D-League Draft, checked in for several honors in his shortened season. Upon being named to the NBA D-League All-Star Futures Team, Emmett was later named the game’s MVP after his 28 point, 4 rebound/steals performance. For the 2014 D-League Showcase, he earned a place on the Honorable Mention Team. He later went on to be named the D-League Performer of the Week for his January average of 28.5 points on 55% shooting. Later that month, Emmett earned the D-League Player of the Month Honors with his 12 starts (10-2), 27.3 points average on 52% shooting and 6.4 rebounds.
Dahntay Jones received his first 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Clippers during the D-League Showcase in January; he received a second 10-day contract before the Clippers signed him the remainder of the year. Jones embarked on the playoff ride with the Clippers as they advanced to the Western Conference Semi-Finals before being ousted by the Houston Rockets in a full seven game slate.
CJ Fair earned recognition with a place on the second team All-Rookie squad courtesy of his second half performance. Fair received the final D-League Performer of the Week honors with his play to help the Mad Ants punch their ticket to the 2015 playoffs.
2015-16: We Are One
Before the ninth season of Mad Ants basketball was set to tip in Fort Wayne, the Indiana Pacers announced in September that they would purchase the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, thus making them the 10th team in the NBA D-League to be wholly owned by an NBA franchise. With this acquisition, all nineteen D-League teams would now serve as single affiliates of their NBA franchises. With Conner Henry no longer in command of the team, upon receiving a call-up with the Orlando Magic in July to serve as an assistant coach, Steve Gansey returned to Fort Wayne to lead the franchise. The 2015-16 season opened up with a weekend doubleheader at home as they hosted the newest team to join the D-League, Raptors 905. In a tight game, returning Mad Ant, Xavier Thames launched a shot at the buzzer to grant the team a victory over their visitors and eventually a 2-0 start to the season. The first two months of the season enlisted a schedule filled with division rivals and strong competition, to which the team finished 10-7 heading into the new year. After claiming their first win of the 2016 calendar, the Mad Ants finished the final three months of the season 8-23 and closed out the year with a dominant victory at home against the Erie BayHawks. Throughout the season, Fort Wayne hosted a variety of talent as Joe Young, Glenn Robinson III, Rakeem Christmas and Shayne Whittington all saw time with the Mad Ants while on assignment from the Pacers. Whittington, who made a return after spending time last season with the Mad Ants in their playoff run, and Christmas each contributed in 40 games with the team.
Rakeem Christmas, the Pacers rookie out of Syracuse, was awarded Player of the Week honors for his performance in games played November 30th through December 6th; where he helped lead Fort Wayne to a 3-0 week behind averages 24.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.7 blocks. On Dec. 2, Christmas recorded a double-double with 25 points and 13 rebounds as part of a 98-97 victory to hand the Westchester Knicks their first loss of the season. Christmas would late be selected to represent the Mad Ants in the 2016 NBA D-League All-Star Game in Toronto in February. As a member of the All-Star East Team, Christmas finished the afternoon with 10 points and 8 rebounds as the East defeated the West 128-124.
Walter Lemon Jr. served as the Mad Ants first pick in the 2015 NBA D-League draft coming in the second round. In addition to his teammate, Christmas, Lemon Jr. also represented the Mad Ants in the 2016 NBA D-League All-Star festivities as one of six participants in the D-League Slam Dunk Contest during halftime of the All-Star Game.
CJ Fair returned to the Mad Ants for a second season in Fort Wayne after spending summer league with the Boston Celtics and much of the NBA preseason with the Indiana Pacers. Fair led the way for the Mad Ants in their final game of the season, recording 31 points/5 rebounds off the bench, ending his season with 16.0 ppg and 6.9 rpg.
2016-17: The 10th Year Anniversary
We celebrated a decade of The Fort Wayne Mad Ants coming to the summit city and taking Ant-tertainment to a whole new level! Ron “Mr. Mad Ant” Howard had his number raised to the rafters, ensuring no other Mad Ant will ever wear No. 19. Head coach Steve Gansey returned for his second season in Fort Wayne. The Mad Ants opened their season on fire as they sailed through their first six games 6-0, which consisted of defeating the defending D-League champion Sioux Falls Skyforce and the eventual 2016-17 D-League Champion Raptors 905. The Mad Ants cruised to finish off the 2016 calendar year 12-6. With a tough and highly anticipated competitive schedule ahead, The Mad Ants ended their regular season 30-20, finishing third in the eastern conference and second in the central division, earning Fort Wayne a playoff spot. The No. 4 seed Mad Ants faced the No. 3 seed Maine Red Claws in the first round of the playoffs and would go on to lose the series, 2-1. Pacer players Rakeem Christmas, Joe Young and Georges Niang saw time in a Fort Wayne uniform this season playing a combined 17 games. The Mad Ants roster also saw a few big-name college players like NCAA National Champion and former NBA players Tyler Hansbrough (University of North Carolina, 2009) and Marquis Teague (University of Kentucky, 2012). The Mad Ants saw several NBA Call Ups this season, such as Ben Bentil and Jarrod Uthoff (Dallas Mavericks) and Alex Poythress (Philadelphia 76ers).
Alex Poythress
Playing in 46 of 50 games for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, th rookie averaged 18.5 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game. Poythress received All D-league rookie and All D-league Second Team honors. He was chosen to represent the Mad Ants in the 2017 D-League All-Star game in New Orleans, Louisiana, but was not able to participate due to injury. Poythress received a call up from the Philadelphia 76ers for a 10-day contract and set a career high 15 points on five 3-point shots made.
Jarrod Uthoff
Uthoff was acquired in a trade with Raptors 905 for Christian Watford in January. Uthoff played in 11 games for the Mad Ants averaging 19 ppg, 9.1 rpg and 2.5 apg. His time with the Mad Ants was short before receiving a call up for a 10-day contract with the Dallas Mavericks.
Georges Niang
Rookie George Niang, selected in the second round by the Pacers in the 2016 NBA Draft, spent time with Fort Wayne on assignment from the Indiana Pacers. During his time with the Mad Ants, Niang averaged 33 mpg, 19 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.3 apg, and 1.2 spg.
2017-18: #MadAboutBlue
The NBA G League underwent an overhaul in sponsorship and appearance prior to the 2017-18 season. With global partners such as Nike and Gatorade joining forces with the NBA, the Mad Ants received a new blue-and-gold look to correspond with its NBA affiliate, the Indiana Pacers. Fort Wayne began the 11th season in franchise history in November by tying a franchise record for the longest regular-season winning streak at eight games. Walt Lemon Jr. also added NBA G League Player of the Month honors in November averaging 26.6 points and 6.4 assists per game in the opening month. Seven Indiana Pacers players – including all three 2017 NBA draft selections – suited up for the Mad Ants throughout the 2017-18 season. Highlighted by a rehabilitation assignment from 2017 NBA Slam Dunk Champion Glenn Robinson III, Mad Ants fans witnessed Ike Anigbogu, TJ Leaf, Ben Moore, Alex Poythress and Edmond Sumner take the court in the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Lemon Jr. and Trey McKinney Jones became the latest Mad Ants to receive a call up from NBA teams signing 10-day contracts with the New Orleans Pelicans and Indiana Pacers respectively. DeQuan Jones was unequivocally the best player in a Mad Ants jersey throughout the second half of the season. Jones won Player of the Month honors in February behind 26.5 points per game and shooting 59.7 percent from the floor. He also shined at NBA All Star Weekend in Los Angeles with a scintillating performance to win the NBA G League Dunk Contest. Jones would ride the momentum to steer the Mad Ants to the Central Division title, the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed in the NBA G League Playoffs as well as receiving the 2018 NBA G League Most Improved Player of the Year Award. The Mad Ants won the third most games in a season (29) in franchise history and advanced to postseason play for the fifth time in six years. Mad Ants fans continued to support the highest level of professional sports in town by achieving four sellouts during the 2017-18 season.
2018-19: Staying the course
The 12th season of Mad Ants basketball brought a youthful transition to Fort Wayne. Despite a younger roster, Steve Gansey surpassed 100 career wins as full-time head coach of the Mad Ants on March 14, 2019 in a 125-117 win at the Capital City Go-Go. Gansey ended the season with 102 wins since taking over the head coaching role in 2015. Edmond Sumner finished the season 10th in the G League in scoring averaging 22.1 points per game. On Feb. 11, Sumner's two-way contract was converted to a full NBA contract by the Indiana Pacers. Stephan Hicks was awarded with a Gatorade call-up on Jan. 20 when the Pacers signed him to a 10-day contract. Hicks returned to Fort Wayne to finish the season with the Mad Ants and become the second all-time leading scorer in team history. Alize Johnson suited up for the Mad Ants in 31 games on assignment from the Pacers during his rookie season and totaled 23 double-double performances with Fort Wayne. Two of the staples in Fort Wayne this season also found their way to be remembered for notable performances. In his rookie season, Rob Gray found a way to contribute because of his lethal scoring ability. On Feb. 13 at Lakeland, Gray finished with the third most points scored in a single game in franchise history with 46 points on 12-of-24 shooting and an 18-of-19 clip from the free throw line. Only Tony Mitchell’s 49- and 47-point performances during the 2012-13 season are the most points scored by a Mad Ants player in a single game. On Feb. 23, Omari Johnson moved into second place in G League history in made 3-point shots. Johnson ended the season with 562 made triples, trailing only Andre Ingram. Two sellouts occurred at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum for Mad Ants home games, as well as history in the season finale. The 600-level at the Coliseum occupied Mad Ants fans for only the second time in franchise history. Trine University played host to a Mad Ants game on Dec. 30, 2018 at the newly constructed MTI Center, which was the first time in team history a home game was not played at the Coliseum.
2019-2020: Playoff run and COVID-19
The 13th season in the history of Mad Ants basketball had an unusual ending. After play was suspended due to the Coronavirus pandemic on March 12, the season was officially ended on June 4 with the cancellation of the remainder of the G League schedule, including playoffs. A new featured launched for the team this season was the 3T Player of the Month; this honor recognizes the player who most embodies the Pacers’ 3T principles (togetherness, toughness and trust) throughout the previous month. DJ McCall, who made the team through open tryouts and is the first Fort Wayne native to play for the franchise, was named the first ever 3T Player of the Month. Walt Lemon Jr. and Stephan Hicks were two of the primary returners to the Mad Ants with Lemon Jr. leading the team in scoring 11 times and in assists 25 times during the 2019-20 season. Lemon also tied a franchise record with 16 field goals made against Raptors 905 on December 7. Hicks hit several franchise marks during the season, playing in his 200th game as a Mad Ant, finshing the season at 219 games played for Fort Wayne; he also became the all-time wins leader for the franchise. On November 15 at Maine, Hicks became the franchise's all-time rebound leader, now sitting at 1,229 rebounds. On February 25 at Raptors 905, Hicks became the franchise's all-time leader in three point makes, finshing the season with 235. Former Mad Ant Ben Moore was re-acquired by the team on December 12 with Fort Wayne going 14-8 after his return to the organization; Moore moved into 4th all-time in Mad Ant ofensive rebounds during the season and currently has the best career field goal percentage as a Mad Ant at 56.8 percent as of the end of the season. Another franchise single game record was tied by C.J. Wilcox as he twice hit eight three pointers in a game. last doing so on February 13 at Capital City.
In both December and January, Indiana Pacers guards Victor Oladipo spent time practicing in Fort Wayne with the Mad Ants during his rehabilitation process before making his return to NBA games. Indiana Pacers players Jakarr Sampson, Edmond Sumner, Goga Bitadze and Alize Johnson all spent time in Fort Wayne to play. Johnson appeared in 19 games for the Mad Ants, scoring a career best 36 points against Windy City on November 24. Brian Bowen II and Naz Mitrou-Long played as two-way players with the Pacers and Mad Ants. Bowen scored a career high 34 points vs. Canton on 3/23/20 in 47 and a half minutes, shooting 15-of-24 from the floor. Mitrou-Long tallied sixth triple-double in franchise history on 11/29/19 vs. Texas with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He then became second player in franchise history to record multiple triple-doubles in the same season with 16 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists on 12/7/19 vs. Raptors 905.
As a team, Fort Wayne went on a season best five game winning streak from December 13-28. On February 1, Fort Wayne completed the largest single game comeback in G League history by beating Canton 124-118 after trailing by as many as 35 points (79-44). Daxter Miles Jr. scored 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting in the final quarter alone to help complete the comeback; he lead all players with 29 points on the night. Lemon Jr. scored a team second best 28 points on that night move into third all-time in scoring for the franchise. Before the end of the season, the Mad Ants were making a push for the final playoff spot in the East, finishing just one game back from that final spot. The Mad Ants finished their 2019-20 schedule with back-to-back wins against Grand Rapids, giving coach Steve Gansey his 11th and 12th career wins against Grand Rapids, the most wins for him against any G League franchise.
2021: The Bubble Season
The 14th season of the Mad Ants was one played away from home. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the entire shortened season was played at a single site in Orlando, Florida. The games were played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports at the Disney Resort in Orlando. A season unlike any other, the 2021 campaign officially tipped off on January 8 with the announcement that the Mad Ants would be one of just 18 teams participating in 2021’s single site for a 15 game regular season.
That led to a quick turnaround for offseason activities on January 11 when the Mad Ants named a new head coach, participated in the NBA G League draft and named their roster for the upcoming season all in one day. Tom Hankins, who spent 2019-2020 with the Indiana Pacers in player development, became the seventh head coach in Mad Ants history.
The Mad Ants played their first game of the season on February 10, dropping a 125-120 game to Westchester. On February 13, the Mad Ants earned their first win of the season and the first of Hankins’ professional career with a 119-115 win over Rio Grande Valley. On February 20 and 21, the Mad Ants played in and won back to back double overtime games, beating the Iowa Wolves and a Raptors 905 team that would end the regular season at the top of the G League standings. During the run, both Oshae Brissett (#1) and Devin Robinson (#3) appeared on the Sportscenter Top 10 for dunks against Long Island and Austin respectively. In the final game of the season, in a 111-107 win over Greensboro, Naz Mitrou-Long recorded the league’s second triple double of the season with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. It was Mitrou-Long’s third triple double in his 27 game Mad Ants career, making him the first Mad Ant to ever record three triple doubles with the team.
Two days after the end of the Mad Ants season, Cassius Stanley participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest at halftime of the 2021 NBA All-Star game. Stanley, while finishing third in the contest, became the first two-way player, and therefore G League player, to ever participate in a NBA All-Star weekend event.
Oshae Brissett was named All-NBA G League Second Team and was third in Most Improved voting. Brissett ranked tenth in points per game with 18.6 and eighth in offensive rebounds per game with 3.5. Brissett’s 34.6 minutes of playing time per game over 12 games was third most in the G League.
Devin Robinson had the 4th best field goal percentage (66.7%) in the league, was 9th in offensive rebounds (46) and was second in offensive fouls drawn (19). Amida Brimah was second in blocks per game (2.8), Naz Mitrou-Long was 7th in assists per game (6.1) and Josh Gray was tenth in assists per gam (5.9) and Brian Bowen II was 10th in total defensive rebounds (113).
2021-22: Offensive record setting 15th Anniversary season
While returning from the previous season's bubble format, COVID-19 did alter this season as well. The team announced before games began that they would be playing a split schedule with 15 home games played at the Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne and another nine (later changed to 7) home games being played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, home of the Indiana Pacers. The team also introduced a new General Manager in Chris Taylor.
The league also changed. The first 12 games of the season were part of the newly minted Showcase Cup, with teams broken down into Regions, trying to qualify for the eight-team tournament in Las Vegas during December's annual NBA G League Winter Showcase.
The Mad Ants would go on to set 30 different single game or single season franchise records during this time. There were also a record setting number of call ups across the NBA G League and it was no different for the Mad Ants. Terry Taylor, Keifer Sykes, Nate Hinton and Justin Anderson (x3) all earned NBA Call-Ups.
The Mad Ants would qualify for the first ever Showcase Cup with an 8-4 record, earning the eighth seed in Las Vegas. The team would lose to the Delaware Blue Coats in the first round, but earned a consolation game with the Wisconsin Herd during the Showcase that would lead them to break multiple records. On December 21, the Mad Ants would defeat the Herd 155-103, setting the franchise singe game record for points in a game. In that same game, Gabe York broke the franchise record for most three point makes in a game with nine.
January 25's game against Maine saw Terry Taylor (39) and Gabe York (35) combine for 74 points, making them the best single game scoring duo in Mad Ants history. It was also the first time that two Mad Ant players each scored 35 or more points in the same game. Over the season, a Mad Ant player scored 35 or more points on 16 occasions, something that has only happened 47 times in 15 seasons. There were also five games of 40 or more points this season with Justin Anderson (46, 40), Gabe York (45), Russ Smith (43) and Andrew Rowsey (41) all making the franchise's top 10 single game scoring list.
Over the course of a month from February 8 through March 4, there were three triple doubles in Mad Ants history. Walt Lemon Jr. earned his second ever triple double. Jordan Bell would record two in that time, including being the fastest in their Mad Ants career to earn one, picking up a triple double February 10 in just his sixth game as a Mad Ant. The night of Bell's second triple double on March 4, the Mad Ants welcome 1 millionth fan in the franchise’s history at the Memorial Coliseum. Jason Reibs was honored with a special gift basket and a 1 Million jersey.
Fort Wayne finished with a full season record of 26-22, the fifth best single season in franchise history. Gabe York's 2.5 steals per game officially led the NBA G League in steals at season's end. Justin Anderson, who earned his third NBA Call-Up of the season in March, unofficially led the NBA G League in scoring at 27.8 points per game. Anderson led the league upon his call up but based on league rules, he wasn't the official leading scorer at season's end because he played in just 65% of the team's games and not the 70% that is league standard to be a statistical leader.
In addition to finishing 1st in the league in steals/game, Gabe York also finished 8th in scoring (21.8), 2nd in minutes (38) and 3rd in steal/turnover ratio (1.4). Darius Adams finished 2nd in the league in free throw percentage (91.4) and 2nd in steals/game (2.3). Nate Hinton finished 3rd in minutes (37.6) and 3rd in steals per game (2.2).
The team was ranked 2nd in the league in free throw percentage (79.5), steals/game (11.2) and steal/turnover ratio (0.7). They also finished 5th in points per game at 117.2, a new franchise record for points/game in a season.
2022-23: Embrace The Grind
On opening weekend, the Mad Ants got to see one of the new NBA G League rules come to fruition. The league implemented a target score ending for all overtime games during the season. Meaning that whatever the score was after regulation +7 points would be the target score. On opening weekend in Fort Wayne, York would hit a late three against Grand Rapids to force Fort Wayne's first overtime under the new rule. The Mad Ants would go on to outscore Grand Rapids 7-0 in overtime with another York three pointer sealing the deal. The Mad Ants would go 2-1 over the season in overtime games.
On November 15, York would be named the first NBA G League Player of the Week for the season. He could go on to accomplish that feat two more times during the season, winning the award on December 6 and January 24. York became the first player to be named NBA G League Player of the Week three times in a single season since Tim Frazier (Maine) during the 2014-2015 season. No Mad Ant had ever been named Player of the Week three times in a single season; the only Fort Wayne player to ever earn three career Player of the Week honors was Walker Russell, who did it over three different seasons.
The Mad Ants broke a significant single game team record early in the season, setting a single game assist record of 39 on opening weekend against Grand Rapids. The Mad Ants would go on to set a single season franchise record with 1,495 total assists. The team also led the NBA G League in assists during the 2022-2023 season.
The Mad Ants failed to make the Showcase Cup field in its second year of existence. The in-season tournament field would hold 8 teams (ultimately won by the Ontario Clippers), but the Mad Ants would finish 9th in the 16-game qualifying season, just missing out. The Mad Ants would still participate at the Winter Showcase, defeating Santa Cruz and Oklahoma City; the league used a fourth quarter target score (+25) only for games during the Winter Showcase. Against Oklahoma City, Pacers assignment player Terry Taylor would score 46 points and the game winning shot, helping him earn All-Winter Showcase honors from the league. In that game, Taylor would set the franchise record for most made field goals in a game with 20.
In January, the league would announce the first ever Next Up Game to be held on All-Star weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah. Though not declared an "all-star game," it would mark the return of a G League focused game to All-Star Weekend with 10 players being selected by fan vote and 14 more selected by the league. Gabe York and Trevelin Queen would be selected by the league to participate. Both would later be drafted by captain Luka Garza (Iowa Wolves) to his team, who would defeat Team Scoot Henderson.
Injuries plagued the Mad Ants during the final stretch of the season, including a five-game losing streak in February and March. It forced Fort Wayne into multiple must-win games. The Mad Ants responded by winning their final five games of the regular season to qualify for the first playoffs for the team since 2018. To cap off the second longest winning streak to end a regular season in franchise history, the Mad Ants beat eventual NBA G League finalist Delaware Blue Coats on back-to-back days in Delaware. It saw the team earn the 6th seed and a March 28 playoff game at Capital City, where the Mad Ants season came to an end.
The trio of Indiana Pacers two-way player Trevelin Queen, as well as Gabe York and Justin Anderson became the NBA G League's first trio of players to all average 20 points or more per game for a full season since 2019-2020. They are just the seventh trio to do so in league history.
The Mad Ants broke seven franchise single season records during the year: Points (6,090), Points/Game (121.8), Field Goals Made (2,213), Field Goals Made/Game (44.3), Field Goal Percentage (48.5), Defensive Rebounds (1,723) and Assists (1,495).
Individual season long franchise records broken were Jermaine Samuels for field goal percentage (66.3), Gabe York for three pointers made in a season (161) and York/Justin Anderson combining to score 1,933 points as the top scoring single season duo in Mad Ants history. The Mad Ants finished with four players whose single season scoring ranks in the top 16 in franchise history with York (3rd), Anderson (4th), Trevelin Queen (13th) and Samuels (16th).
On March 30, after the Mad Ants season concluded, Gabe York was rewarded with a NBA Call-Up as a two-way with the Indiana Pacers. It was the second call-up of York's career and the 29th Call-Up in Mad Ants history. Also in the postseason, Justin Anderson was honored as All NBA G League Third Team, making him just the third Mad Ant to earn All League honors twice with the organization.