Indiana Mad Ants

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Indiana Mad Ants
Indiana Mad Ants logo.svg
ConferenceEastern
League NBA G League
Founded2007
HistoryFort Wayne Mad Ants
2007–2023
Indiana Mad Ants
2023–2024
Arena Noblesville Event Center
Location Noblesville, Indiana
Team colorsNavy blue, gold, cool gray [1] [2] [3]
   
General managerChris Taylor [4]
Head coach Tom Hankins
OwnershipPacers Sports and Entertainment
Affiliation(s) Indiana Pacers
Championships1 (2014)
Conference titles2 (2014, 2015)
Division titles2 (2014, 2018)
Retired numbers1 (19)
Website fortwayne.gleague.nba.com

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.

Contents

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

2007–2012: early years

In 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. 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. Their inaugural season included players Ron Howard, Dahntay Jones, Jeremy Richardson, Sammy Mejía, Earl Calloway, and Walker Russell.

The Mad Ants added the Milwaukee Bucks as their third affiliate for the 2008–09 season. They ended that season with a 19–31 record and posted three more under-.500 records in the next three years, failing to make the playoffs in their first five years of competition. Across these seasons, the franchise featured players Chris Hunter, Alex Acker, Rob Kurz, Oliver Lafayette, Joe Alexander, Darnell Lazare, Larry Sanders, Chris Kramer, Marvin Phillips, Corey Allmond, Vernon Macklin, Stephen Graham, and Travis Walton.

2012–2015: playoff success

The Mad Ants added the Charlotte Bobcats, now the Hornets, as their fourth NBA affiliate before in the 2012–13 season. This season saw assignments from NBA players Khris Middleton, Miles Plumlee, Orlando Johnson, and Kim English. This season also featured Tony Mitchell, Luke Harangody, and JaJuan Johnson. They made the D-League playoffs for the first time in 2013, losing to the Santa Cruz Warriors in the first round after going 27–23 in the regular season.

The next year, in the 2013–14 season, the Mad Ants won their division with a 34–16 record and made it to the 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. [9]

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. 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. By 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]

2015–2023: Pacers ownership & rebranding

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 2017, 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.

After spending the 2020–21 season at the NBA G League single site in Orlando, Florida during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mad Ants 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.

During the 2022–23 season, Trevelin Queen and Gabe York were both selected to the 2023 Next Up Game.

2023–2024: Indiana Mad Ants

The Indiana Mad Ants logo used from 2023 to 2024. Indiana Mad Ants logo.svg
The Indiana Mad Ants logo used from 2023 to 2024.

On 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.

Oscar Tshiebwe was selected NBA G League Rookie of the Year Award, All–NBA G League First Team, as well as 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. [14] Elfrid Payton was selected 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 was also selected to the 2024 NBA Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star Weekend. This season also featured Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard, Quenton Jackson, Jordan Bell, and Kendall Brown.

Season-by-season results

Franchise Season Overviews
SeasonDivisionRegular seasonPostseason results
FinishWinsLossesPct.
Fort Wayne Mad Ants
2007–08 Central4th1733.340
2008–09 Central5th1931.380
2009–10 Eastern5th2228.440
2010–11 Eastern3rd2426.480
2011–12 Eastern8th1436.280
2012–13 Eastern2nd2723.540Lost Quarterfinal (Santa Cruz) 0–2
2013–14 Eastern1st3416.680Won Quarterfinal (Reno) 2–0
Won Semifinals (Sioux Falls) 2–0
Won Championship (Santa Cruz) 2–0
2014–15 Central2nd2822.560Won Quarterfinal (Maine) 2–0
Won Semifinals (Canton) 2–0
Lost Championship (Santa Cruz) 0–2
2015–16 Central5th2030.400
2016–17 Central2nd3020.600Lost Semifinal (Maine) 1–2
Fort Wayne Mad Ants
2017–18 Central1st2921.580Lost Semifinal (Erie) 116–119
2018–19 Central3rd2327.460
2019–20 Central4th2122.488Season cancelled by COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 13th69.400
2021–22 Eastern9th1717.500
2022–23 Eastern6th1814.563Lost Quarterfinal (Capital City) 87–101
Indiana Mad Ants
2023–24 Eastern3rd2113.618Lost Quarterfinal (Delaware) 101–123
Regular season record370388.4882007–present
Playoff record119.5502007–present

Players

Current roster

Indiana Mad Ants roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOBFrom
G 12 Bradshaw, Pedro 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)180 lb (82 kg)1998-10-14 Bellarmine
G/F 17 Hicks, Stephan 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)220 lb (100 kg)1992-04-02 Cal State Northridge
G 29 Jackson, Quenton  (TW)6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)173 lb (78 kg)1998-09-15 Texas A&M
G 24 Mangas, Kyle 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)200 lb (91 kg)1999-04-08 Indiana Wesleyan
G 2 Payton, Elfrid 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)195 lb (88 kg)1994-02-22 Louisiana
C 44 Tshiebwe, Oscar  (TW)6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)260 lb (118 kg)1999-11-27 Kentucky
F 41 Vorhees, Will 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)240 lb (109 kg)1995-12-18 Notre Dame (OH)
G 21 Wong, Isaiah  (TW)6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)185 lb (84 kg)2001-01-28 Miami (FL)
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (P) Prospects
  • (NBA) On assignment from NBA affiliate
  • (TW) Two-way affiliate player
  • Cruz Roja.svg Injured

Roster
Last transaction: May 28, 2024

Retired numbers

Ron Howard's No. 19 jersey hanging in the rafters at Fort Wayne's Memorial Coliseum. Howard jersey.jpg
Ron Howard's No. 19 jersey hanging in the rafters at Fort Wayne's Memorial Coliseum.
Fort Wayne Mad Ants retired numbers
No.PlayerPositionTenureDate
19 Ron Howard
"Mr. Mad Ant"		 G/F 2007–2014March 3, 2017

Head coaches

Overview of Indiana Mad Ants coaches
Head coachTermRegular seasonPlayoffsAchievements
GWL Win% GWL Win%
Kent Davison 2007–2008491732.347————
Jaren Jackson 2008–2009501931.380————
Joey Meyer 2009–20121155164.443————
Steve Gansey 2012 (interim)35926.257————
Duane Ticknor 2012–2013502723.540202.000Lost Quarterfinal (2012–13)
Conner Henry 2013–20151006238.62012102.833 Coach of the Year (2013–14)
Won Championship (2013–14)
Lost Championship (2014–15)
Steve Gansey 2015–2020243123120.506413.250Lost Semifinal (2016–17)
Lost Semifinal (2017–18)
Tom Hankins 2020–present1156253.539202.000Lost Quarterfinal (2022–23)
Lost Quarterfinal (2023–24)

NBA affiliates

Current
Former

Individual awards

NBA G League Most Valuable Player Award

NBA G League Coach of the Year Award

NBA G League Rookie of the Year Award

NBA G League Most Improved Player Award

NBA G League Team Executive of the Year Award

  • Jeff Potter – 2014

All-NBA G League First Team

All-NBA G League Second Team

All-NBA G League Third Team

Jason Collier Sportsmanship Award

NBA D League All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award

NBA G League All-Star & Next Up Game

NBA G League All-Star & Next Up Game Head Coach

NBA D League Slam Dunk Contest

NBA D League Shooting Stars Competition

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. ↑ "Mad Ants Unveil New Look at Three Rivers Festival Parade". Pacers.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. July 8, 2017. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  2. ↑ "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.
  3. ↑ "Indiana Mad Ants Reproduction Guideline Sheet". NBA Properties, Inc. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  4. ↑ "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.
  5. ↑ Buckner, Candace (September 9, 2015). "Pacers buy D-League's Mad Ants to enhance player development". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  6. ↑ "NBA selects Fort Wayne for D-League franchise". The Journal Gazette . April 10, 2007. Archived from the original on May 1, 2007.
  7. ↑ "The Ants Are Coming!". NBA Development League. June 18, 2007. Archived from the original on August 8, 2008. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
  8. ↑ "NBA Development League: Skyforce at Mad Ants Game Info". NBA.com . Archived from the original on April 22, 2014. Retrieved April 20, 2014.
  9. ↑ "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.
  10. ↑ Schlosser, Keith (April 14, 2015). "Q&A w/ Fort Wayne Mad Ants' President Jeff Potter". Ridiculous Upside. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Brian Levy Named General Manager of Fort Wayne Mad Ants". NBA.com. September 9, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Noblesville, Pacers Sports & Entertainment Announce New G League Partnership". NBA.com .
  13. ↑ Montgomery, Gregg (May 8, 2023). "Pacers to move NBA G League team to new arena in Noblesville". WISH-TV . Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Oscar Tshiebwe Named NBA G League Rookie Of The Year For 2023-24". NBA.com. April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  15. ↑ Warden, Steve (September 25, 2008). "TV plot bringing team to 'Tree Hill'". The Journal Gazette . Retrieved October 1, 2008.
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