The Indiana Mad Ants are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Noblesville, Indiana, and are affiliated with the Indiana Pacers. The team plays their home games at Noblesville Event Center. From 2007 to 2023, the team played in Fort Wayne's Allen County War Memorial Coliseum and was known as the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. From 2023 to 2024, the team played in Indianapolis' Gainbridge Fieldhouse and was known as the Indiana Mad Ants.
Indiana Mad Ants | |
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Conference | Eastern |
League | NBA G League |
Founded | 2007 |
History | Fort Wayne Mad Ants 2007–2023 Indiana Mad Ants 2023–2024 |
Arena | Noblesville Event Center |
Location | Noblesville, Indiana |
Team colors | Navy blue, gold, cool gray[1][2][3] |
General manager | Chris Taylor[4] |
Head coach | Tom Hankins |
Ownership | Pacers Sports and Entertainment (PS&E) |
Affiliation(s) | Indiana Pacers |
Championships | 1 (2014) |
Conference titles | 2 (2014, 2015) |
Division titles | 2 (2014, 2018) |
Showcase Cup titles | 0 |
Retired numbers | 1 (19) |
Website | fortwayne |
The franchise won their first and only championship in 2013–14, and lost in the 2014–15 finals, when the G League was known as the NBA D-League. In September 2015, Pacers Sports & Entertainment (PS&E), parent company of the Indiana Pacers purchased the Mad Ants.[5]
Team history
edit2007–2012: early years
editIn April 2007, the NBA Development League (D-League) announced it was expanding to Fort Wayne for the 2007–08 season, with former AT&T President John Zeglis as the team's president and part owner.[6] The team was poised to be the first minor league basketball franchise to play in Fort Wayne since the Fort Wayne Fury were disbanded after the folding of the Continental Basketball Association in 2001. The franchise held a team-naming contest on their website where fans could vote on one of the four finalists: Lightning, Fire, Coyotes, and Mad Ants, the latter name being a tribute to the city's namesake "Mad" Anthony Wayne.[7]
At the team's inception, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants were affiliated with the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers, while debuting their maroon, gold, and black colors. They finished the 2007–08 season, their first in the D-League, with a 17–33 record that put them in last place in the Central Division. Jeremy Richardson was selected to the 2008 All–Star Game, and was awarded the 2008 All-Star Game MVP Award. Their inaugural season included players Ron Howard, Dahntay Jones, Walker Russell Jr., Sammy Mejía, and Earl Calloway.
The Mad Ants added the Milwaukee Bucks as their third affiliate for the 2008–09 season, ending that season with a 19–31 record. The franchise posted three more under-.500 records in the next three years, in 2009–10, 2010–11, and 2011–12, failing to make the playoffs in their first five years of competition. Across these seasons, the franchise had numerous players selected to the All–Star Game: Chris Hunter (2009), Ron Howard & Rob Kurz (2010), Walker Russell Jr. (2009, 2011, 2012), and Darnell Lazare (2012). Furthermore, Chris Hunter (2009) and Rob Kurz (2010) were selected to the All-NBA D League Second Team respectively. The franchise also featured players Alex Acker, Oliver Lafayette, Joe Alexander, Larry Sanders, Chris Kramer, Marvin Phillips, Corey Allmond, Vernon Macklin, Stephen Graham, and Travis Walton.
2012–2015: Championship & playoff success
editThe Mad Ants added the Charlotte Bobcats, now the Hornets, as their fourth NBA affiliate before in the 2012–13 season. In the 2012 D–League Draft, the Mad Ants selected JaJuan Johnson first overall. This season saw assignments from NBA players Khris Middleton, Miles Plumlee, Orlando Johnson, Kim English, and Luke Harangody. Tony Mitchell earned 2013 Rookie of the Year, 2013 Slam Dunk Champion, 2013 All-NBA D League First Team, and 2013 All-NBA D League Rookie Team. They made the D–League playoffs for the first time in 2013, losing to the Santa Cruz Warriors in the quarterfinals after going 27–23 in the regular season.
The next year, in the 2013–14 season, the Mad Ants won their division and conference with a 34–16 record and made it to the 2014 D–League Finals for the first time after beating the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the semifinals and the Reno Bighorns in the quarterfinals.[8] The Mad Ants defeated the Santa Cruz Warriors 2–0 in the Finals to claim their first D–League title, after going undefeated in the playoffs (6–0).[9] In back–to–back seasons, Tony Mitchell won the 2014 Slam Dunk Contest while being selected 2014 All-NBA D League Third Team. Solomon Hill, Adreian Payne, and Sadiel Rojas all appeared for the Mad Ants this year. Ron Howard won back–to–back Sportsmanship Awards in 2013 and 2014, before his D–League retirement, finishing top 10 in most points scored in D-League history with 4,325 career points.
In 2014, as most NBA teams began exclusively partnering with or acquiring their own D–League teams, the Mad Ants made affiliate partnerships with the rest of the teams that did not have exclusive affiliates: the Atlanta Hawks, the Chicago Bulls, the Brooklyn Nets, the Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the New Orleans Pelicans, the Portland Trail Blazers, the Toronto Raptors, and the Washington Wizards. This put the Mad Ants' total number of NBA affiliates at 14 for the 2014–15 season. As a result, the Mad Ants earned the 2015 NBA D League Development Champion Award for developing players such as Jordan Crawford, Noah Vonleh, Mike Muscala, Russ Smith, John Jenkins, Bruno Caboclo, Glen Rice Jr., and C.J. Wilcox. The Mad Ants made it to the D–League Finals again in 2015, but lost the championship series to the Santa Cruz Warriors in two games.
2015–2023: Pacers ownership & rebranding
editBy 2015, the Mad Ants were the only remaining independently owned team in the D-League, as the rest were owned and operated by an NBA team or a common parent organization.[10] However, in September 2015, Pacers Sports & Entertainment (PS&E) purchased the Mad Ants from owner and president John Zeglis and made the team the Indiana Pacers' one-to-one D-League affiliate, dropping the rest of the Mad Ants' partnerships. Brian Levy was named general manager by PS&E.[11] In the 2015–16 season, the team missed the playoffs holding a 20–30 record, with the Pacers as their only affiliate. The team acquired Walter Lemon Jr. and Stephan Hicks in the 2015 D-League Draft, while Rakeem Christmas was selected to the 2016 All–Star Game. Furthermore, Glenn Robinson III, Joe Young, Shayne Whittington, and Terran Petteway all made appearances this season.
During the 2016–17 season, the franchise qualified for the playoffs with a 30–20 record, losing 1–2 to the Maine Red Claws in the semifinals. Alex Poythress was selected to the 2017 All–NBA D–League Second Team and All–NBA D–League Rookie Team. This season developed players Tyler Hansbrough, Georges Niang, Marquis Teague, John Lucas III, Christian Watford, and Jarrod Uthoff.
Before the 2017–18 season, the Mad Ants rebranded and changed their colors to the same colors as the Pacers: navy blue, gold, cool gray and white. This was the same year that the NBA Development League was rebranded as the NBA G League following a sponsorship deal with Gatorade and the NBA. They finished the season 29–21, winning the Central Division, and qualifying for the playoffs where they lost in the semifinals to the Erie BayHawks. DeQuan Jones earned the 2018 Most Improved Player Award and won the 2018 Slam Dunk Contest. Walter Lemon Jr. earned All–NBA G League Third Team honors, while Edmond Sumner, T. J. Leaf, Ike Anigbogu, and Ben Moore all debuted for the Mad Ants this year.
The Mad Ants complied a 23–27 record in the 2018–19 season, failing to make the playoffs. Alize Johnson and Davon Reed both played for the team this season. The next year, the Mad Ants held a 21–22 record before the 2019–20 season was cancelled due to the COVID–19 pandemic. Hasheem Thabeet, Goga Bitadze, JaKarr Sampson, Naz Mitrou-Long, and Brian Bowen II all played during the cancelled season. The Mad Ants spent the 2020–21 season at the NBA G League single site in Orlando, Florida during the COVID-19 pandemic, posting a 6–9 record, missing the playoffs. Oshae Brissett was selected 2021 All–NBA G League Second Team. Cassius Stanley, Jalen Lecque, and Amida Brimah all suited up for the Mad Ants this shortened year.
For the 2021–22 season, the franchise returned to their home court at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum on November 6, 2021, playing their first home game in the venue in 608 days against the Windy City Bulls. This game also marked the start of the Mad Ants' 15th Anniversary season, just missing the playoffs with a 17–17 record. Justin Anderson was appointed 2022 All–NBA G League First Team while Terry Taylor, Duane Washington Jr., and Keifer Sykes also played this season.
During the 2022–23 season, the team's last in Fort Wayne, the Mad Ants returned to the playoffs with an 18–14 record, losing in the quarterfinals to Capital City Go-Go. Trevelin Queen and Gabe York were both selected to the 2023 Next Up Game while Justin Anderson was appointed 2023 All–NBA G League Third Team. Other players this season included Chris Duarte, Isaiah Jackson, David Stockton, Pedro Bradshaw, and Norvel Pelle.
2023–2024: Indiana Mad Ants
editOn May 8, 2023, the Indiana Pacers announced that they were moving the Mad Ants to Indianapolis for the 2023–24 season in preparation for construction of Noblesville Event Center, a new 3,400–seat venue, in Noblesville, Indiana.[12] Upon their move to Indianapolis, the Mad Ants rebranded as the Indiana Mad Ants. The name is meant to last until their move to Noblesville, which will be accompanied by a new name, color scheme, and mascot.[13]
During their lone season playing at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Mad Ants finished with a 21–13 record, claiming the 3rd seed in the playoffs where they were defeated by the Delaware Blue Coats. They performed particularly well in the 2023 Showcase Cup, recording a 15–2 record and the 1st seed in the tournament, ultimately losing in the finals to the Westchester Knicks. Stephan Hicks was named the inaugural winner of the "Ron Howard Mr. Mad Ant Award."[14]
Oscar Tshiebwe was selected 2024 Rookie of the Year, 2024 All–NBA G League First Team, as well as 2024 All–NBA G League Rookie Team, after leading the league in rebounding and set a new G League single–season rebounding record with 16.2 rebounds per game.[15] Elfrid Payton was selected 2024 All–NBA G League Third Team after leading the league in assists at 9.1 per game. Furthermore, Tshiebwe, Isaiah Wong, and Kyle Mangas were all selected to the 2024 Next Up Game, while Tshiebwe participated in the 2024 NBA Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star Weekend. This season also featured Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard, Quenton Jackson, Jordan Bell, Kendall Brown, and Mojave King.
Season-by-season results
editSeason | Division | Regular season | Postseason results | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Finish | Wins | Losses | Pct. | ||||||
Fort Wayne Mad Ants | |||||||||
2007–08 | Central | 4th | 17 | 33 | .340 | Did not qualify | |||
2008–09 | Central | 5th | 19 | 31 | .380 | Did not qualify | |||
2009–10 | Eastern | 5th | 22 | 28 | .440 | Did not qualify | |||
2010–11 | Eastern | 3rd | 24 | 26 | .480 | Did not qualify | |||
2011–12 | Eastern | 8th | 14 | 36 | .280 | Did not qualify | |||
2012–13 | Eastern | 2nd | 27 | 23 | .540 | Lost Quarterfinal (Santa Cruz) 0–2 | |||
2013–14 | Eastern | 1st | 34 | 16 | .680 | Won Quarterfinal (Reno) 2–0 Won Semifinals (Sioux Falls) 2–0 Won Championship (Santa Cruz) 2–0 | |||
2014–15 | Central | 2nd | 28 | 22 | .560 | Won Quarterfinal (Maine) 2–0 Won Semifinals (Canton) 2–0 Lost Championship (Santa Cruz) 0–2 | |||
2015–16 | Central | 5th | 20 | 30 | .400 | Did not qualify | |||
2016–17 | Central | 2nd | 30 | 20 | .600 | Lost Semifinal (Maine) 1–2 | |||
Fort Wayne Mad Ants | |||||||||
2017–18 | Central | 1st | 29 | 21 | .580 | Lost Semifinal (Erie) 116–119 | |||
2018–19 | Central | 3rd | 23 | 27 | .460 | Did not qualify | |||
2019–20 | Central | 4th | 21 | 22 | .488 | Season cancelled by COVID-19 pandemic | |||
2020–21 | 13th | 6 | 9 | .400 | Did not qualify | ||||
2021–22 | Eastern | 9th | 17 | 17 | .500 | Did not qualify | |||
2022–23 | Eastern | 6th | 18 | 14 | .563 | Lost Quarterfinal (Capital City) 87–101 | |||
Indiana Mad Ants | |||||||||
2023–24 | Eastern | 3rd | 21 | 13 | .618 | Lost Quarterfinal (Delaware) 101–123 | |||
Regular season record | 370 | 388 | .488 | 2007–present | |||||
Playoff record | 11 | 9 | .550 | 2007–present |
Players
editCurrent roster
editPlayers | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Roster |
Retired numbers
editFort Wayne Mad Ants retired numbers | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Player | Position | Tenure | Date |
19 | Ron Howard "Mr. Mad Ant" |
G/F | 2007–2014 | March 3, 2017 |
Head coaches
editHead coach | Term | Regular season | Playoffs | Achievements | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G | W | L | Win% | G | W | L | Win% | |||
Kent Davison | 2007–2008 | 49 | 17 | 32 | .347 | — | — | — | — | |
Jaren Jackson | 2008–2009 | 50 | 19 | 31 | .380 | — | — | — | — | |
Joey Meyer | 2009–2012 | 115 | 51 | 64 | .443 | — | — | — | — | |
Steve Gansey | 2012 (interim) | 35 | 9 | 26 | .257 | — | — | — | — | |
Duane Ticknor | 2012–2013 | 50 | 27 | 23 | .540 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | Lost Quarterfinal (2012–13) |
Conner Henry | 2013–2015 | 100 | 62 | 38 | .620 | 12 | 10 | 2 | .833 | Coach of the Year (2013–14) Won Championship (2013–14) Lost Championship (2014–15) |
Steve Gansey | 2015–2020 | 243 | 123 | 120 | .506 | 4 | 1 | 3 | .250 | Lost Semifinal (2016–17) Lost Semifinal (2017–18) |
Tom Hankins | 2020–present | 115 | 62 | 53 | .539 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | Lost Quarterfinal (2022–23) Next Up Game Coach (2023–24) Lost Quarterfinal (2023–24) |
NBA affiliates
edit- Current
- Indiana Pacers (2007–present)
- Former
- Detroit Pistons (2007–2015)
- Milwaukee Bucks (2008–2015)
- Charlotte Bobcats/Hornets (2012–2015)
- Atlanta Hawks (2014–2015)
- Brooklyn Nets (2014–2015)
- Chicago Bulls (2014–2015)
- Denver Nuggets (2014–2015)
- Los Angeles Clippers (2014–2015)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (2014–2015)
- New Orleans Pelicans (2014–2015)
- Portland Trail Blazers (2014–2015)
- Toronto Raptors (2014–2015)
- Washington Wizards (2014–2015)
Mr. Mad Ant Award
editEstablished in 2023–24, the award honors Ron Howard and will be "presented to an active player at the end of the regular season."[16]
Ron Howard - Mr. Mad Ant Award winners | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Player | Position | Tenure | Date |
17 | Stephan Hicks | G/F | 2015–2020 2021–2022 2023–2024 |
March 18, 2024 |
Individual awards
editNBA G League Most Valuable Player
- Ron Howard – 2014
NBA G League Coach of the Year
- Conner Henry – 2014
NBA G League Rookie of the Year
- Oscar Tshiebwe – 2024
- Tony Mitchell – 2013
NBA G League Most Improved Player
- DeQuan Jones – 2018
NBA G League Team Executive of the Year
- Jeff Potter – 2014
Jason Collier Sportsmanship Award
- Ron Howard – 2013, 2014
NBA D League Development Champion
- Fort Wayne Mad Ants – 2015
- Oscar Tshiebwe – 2024
- Justin Anderson – 2022
- Ron Howard – 2014
- Tony Mitchell – 2013
- Oshae Brissett – 2021
- Alex Poythress – 2017
- Rob Kurz – 2010
- Chris Hunter – 2009
- Elfrid Payton – 2024
- Justin Anderson – 2023
- Walter Lemon Jr. – 2018
- Tony Mitchell – 2014
- Oscar Tshiebwe – 2024
- Alex Poythress – 2017
- C.J. Fair – 2015
- Trey McKinney Jones – 2014
- Tony Mitchell – 2013
- Cameron Jones – 2012
Ron Howard – Mr. Mad Ant Award
- Stephan Hicks – 2024
NBA G League Up Next Game
- Oscar Tshiebwe – 2024
- Isaiah Wong – 2024
- Kyle Mangas – 2024
- Trevelin Queen – 2023
- Gabe York – 2023
NBA G League Up Next Game Coach
- Tom Hankins – 2024
- Bryce Taylor – 2024
- Justin Wetzel – 2024
- Rob Dosier – 2024
NBA G League International Challenge
- Edmond Sumner – 2019
- Trey McKinney Jones – 2018
- Walter Lemon Jr. – 2018
NBA D League All-Star Game Most Valuable Player
- Andre Emmett – 2015
- Jeremy Richardson – 2008
- Alex Poythress – 2017
- Rakeem Christmas – 2016
- Andre Emmett – 2015
- Ron Howard – 2010, 2013, 2014
- Tony Mitchell – 2013
- Darnell Lazare – 2012
- Walker Russell – 2009, 2011, 2012
- Rob Kurz – 2010
- Chris Hunter – 2009
- Jeremy Richardson – 2008
NBA D League Slam Dunk Champion
- DeQuan Jones – 2018
- Tony Mitchell – 2013, 2014
NBA D League Shooting Stars Champion
- Cameron Jones – 2012
In popular culture
edit- In the television series One Tree Hill, James Lafferty's character Nathan receives an offer to coach the Mad Ants in the episode "You've Dug Your Own Grave, Now Lie In It". The episode originally aired September 29, 2008 on The CW Network.[17]
- The Mad Ants developed an external team called the "Ants Alumni" who competed in The Basketball Tournament's 2015 season, against 96 national teams for the $1,000,000 prize money.[18] The team included 2014 D-League Champion Mad Ants, as they won the Midwest Regional Final in Chicago, Illinois, making it to the Final Four Semifinals in New York City, losing to Team 23.[19]
- The Mad Ants were featured in the 'MyCareer' mode in NBA 2K19, a basketball game released on September 11, 2018, developed by Visual Concepts, and published by 2K Sports.
- The Mad Ants were featured in the "Destination NBA: A G League Odyssey" feature length documentary which originally premiered August 8, 2023 on Prime Video.[20][21]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Mad Ants Unveil New Look at Three Rivers Festival Parade". Pacers.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. July 8, 2017. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
- ^ "Team History". FortWayne.GLeague.NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
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.
- ^ "Indiana Mad Ants Reproduction Guideline Sheet". NBA Properties, Inc. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
- ^ "Mad Ants promote Chris Taylor to General Manager; announce other basketball operations staff changes". FortWayne.GLeague.NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. September 15, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
- ^ Buckner, Candace (September 9, 2015). "Pacers buy D-League's Mad Ants to enhance player development". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ "NBA selects Fort Wayne for D-League franchise". The Journal Gazette. April 10, 2007. Archived from the original on May 1, 2007.
- ^ "The Ants Are Coming!". NBA Development League. June 18, 2007. Archived from the original on August 8, 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
- ^ "NBA Development League: Skyforce at Mad Ants Game Info". NBA.com. Archived from the original on April 22, 2014. Retrieved April 20, 2014.
- ^ "Fort Wayne Mad Ants Capture 2014 NBA Development League Title". NBA.com. April 26, 2014. Archived from the original on April 29, 2014. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ Schlosser, Keith (April 14, 2015). "Q&A w/ Fort Wayne Mad Ants' President Jeff Potter". Ridiculous Upside. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
- ^ "Brian Levy Named General Manager of Fort Wayne Mad Ants". NBA.com. September 9, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- ^ "Noblesville, Pacers Sports & Entertainment Announce New G League Partnership". NBA.com.
- ^ Montgomery, Gregg (May 8, 2023). "Pacers to move NBA G League team to new arena in Noblesville". WISH-TV. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ "Stephan Hicks named first Ron Howard Mr. Mad Ant Award recipient". GLeague.NBA.com. March 18, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
- ^ "Oscar Tshiebwe Named NBA G League Rookie Of The Year For 2023-24". NBA.com. April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ "Stephan Hicks named first Ron Howard Mr. Mad Ant Award recipient". GLeague.NBA.com. March 18, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
- ^ Warden, Steve (September 25, 2008). "TV plot bringing team to 'Tree Hill'". The Journal Gazette. Retrieved October 1, 2008.
- ^ "Fort Wayne Mad Ants Alumni Group Heads For "The Basketball Tournament"". ridiculousupside.com. June 4, 2015. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
- ^ "Overseas Elite's Semifinal Win Over Team City Of Gods (Photos)". thetournament.com. August 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
- ^ Staff, Mad Ants (August 8, 2023). "Mad Ants featured in Prime Video documentary on the NBA G League". Amazon Prime Video. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
- ^ "Destination NBA: A G League Odyssey". Amazon Prime Video. August 8, 2023. Retrieved July 16, 2024.