Year in Review -- Dewitt Scott

In my continuing series, I want to spend a little time on Dewitt Scott. Dewitt was a breakout player for us two years ago for the first 30 games of the season, and he then either hit a wall or could not adjust to the scouting reports that were sent out on him. Open shots came fewer and further between for him, and he lost a lot of confidence.

When he started the year for us this year, I think he still suffered from a lack of confidence. He was rather unproductive on the court due to the fact that he wouldn't do what he does best -- shoot the ball. In the end, with a roster that needed some change, I had to do the toughest thing I have had to do -- cut Dewitt.

What made it so tough is that Dewitt is such a special person. There is no kinder or more respectful person than Dewitt, and he is the exact type of person you want representing your franchise. The reason that made the cut difficult is that Dewitt is as good as his early stint showed, but we just weren't seeing it.

Later in the season, we were able to bring Dewitt back, and I think we started to see Dewitt finding his groove again. He was aggressively hunting his shot, and what shot he has. I have been lucky to see some great shooters in my day, and I would put Dewitt up there with any of them. I think he started to realize that, if he can get the shot off, it is likely going to go in the hoop. He started taking more shots and started hitting them. His confidence rose and so did his game. He started taking the ball to the hole like he never had before. He rose up and hit clutch jumpers for us, including a monster corner three that won a game in Erie and a wing three that put the game away against Maine at home. He grabbed some decisive offensive rebounds against Maine in Portland, and he hit some more crucial threes to help us pull that game out. I think we are just scratching the surface with Dewitt and how he can contribute, and I hope he comes back even better next season. Thus, yes, I do foresee Dewitt coming back to the Ants and showing us how much more his game and confidence has grown.

You Want More?

Well, how about a little Bad Romance from Gaga?

Championship, Shampionship -- Let's Get Rick Roll'd!

At my time at the University of Oregon, we had many wonderful things, but I had never heard of an acapella group called On the Rocks. Well, my proud school made it all the way to NYC, and they wanted to show their talents on the subway. Watch as our proud school is represented on the streets of NYC!

Season Review: Carlos English

As I sit here thinking of things to write on this blog and not just go over last night's Dancing with the Stars, I thought a good way to fill the blog with meaningful Mad Ants info is to go down and review the players who played for us this season. I am going to focus on the guys who ended the season with us with a few of the others sprinkled in.

Today, I am going to start off this series with my thoughts on Carlos English. Carlos came and played for us the last nine games of the year after we needed someone to fill the point guard position when Dan Dickau went down with an injury.

I had seen Carlos play with the Dakota Wizards the year before, and I also saw him play in the fall when I traveled up to Detroit to watch some potential players in an open gym. I knew he was cat quick, but I never had a full grasp of how he could handle a team, how he could shoot, or how he could create for others. He just didn't play much for the Wizards, and I don't think I could take much away from an open run.

After his time with our team, I thought Carlos was way better than we expected, and I thought he demonstrated he is a player at this level. First, his defense is game altering. In his first game he played the Maine Red Claws, and he made it a nightmare for their guards to even bring it up the court. I think he picked Terrell Harris twice at the mid court line and generally made it impossible for him to bring it up. In fact, Harris even stopped bringing the ball up against his pressure, and they had to have Morris Almond or someone else bring it up. And I am not just picking on Harris -- he did it to everyone. He effectively eliminated a player on the other team, and it reminded me of when Deion Sanders would eliminate a half of a football field. He was really a difference maker for us on defense, and I would say that the was his greatest contribution.

Yet, that is not to take away from some of the other things he did, because I did not think he was a one trick pony. Indeed, I thought he proved he can shoot as well. As we continued with our hot play at the end, Carlos would come in and make some big shots for us. I would not go so far as to say he has a stroke like an Almond or Ryan Ayers, but it is good enough to keep the other team honest, and he put up more than few double digit games for us.

He also did a great job running the team. For a guy who came on the same day as his first game, I thought he picked up the plays quickly and knew enough to put the other players in their place. Moreover, I think he got better at penetrating and creating shots for other guys, something I don't think he was doing to the coaches approval in the early parts of his time in Fort Wayne.

Finally, and most importantly, he won. We were 8-1 with Carlos on our team. I don't think we can point just to Carlos for that great finish, but I don't think it is purely a coincidence. He did all the little things that helps teams win -- played hard, played defense, and played unselfishly. All in all, an impressive stint for Carlos, and I would like to see if we could get him back next year to see if he can keep improving and helping our team.

The Greatest Impression Ever

Earl Calloway Highlights!

Earl Calloway here playing against Regal Barcelona and the much hyped Ricky Rubio. It looks like our boy Earl was ballin'! And, yet, I find it very hard to root against those sweet pink uniforms from Barça.

A Stellar Year For Call Ups

Chris Hunter, Rob Kurz, and Oliver Lafayette -- what a great job our staff did this year in developing our players for the next level. Chris Hunter has been with the Warriors all year and will be an NBA player -- I predict -- for the rest of his career. Rob Kurz showed he is more than just a three point shooter and was called up to the Bulls (where he was reunited on the bench with former Mad Ant Joe Alexander). And, finally, maybe the best story of a call up all year, Oliver Lafayette, who was CUT early in the year, became one of the best guards in the league and earned a call up to the Celtics. He certainly demonstrated he belonged last night against the Bucks.

How great for all players, staff, and Mad Ants fans to watch these success stories!

Chris Hunter Had a Tough Night Last Night

Chris Hunter had a very good year this year, but he ended in a tough manner when he aggravated his knee in the middle of the first quarter. That started an absolute mess the rest of the way, as the Warriors ran out of healthy players! Here is a great article on it:

http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/nelson-gets-by-with-fewer-and-fewer-warriors/.

Good News on Oliver

If our boy at Ridiculous Upside, Scott Schroeder, is correct, our favorite cause for a call up is headed to the Celtics! Of all the call ups we have had in our short history, I think this one pleases me the most. Consider this -- Oliver was CUT at the start of the season! By the end of the season, I think I could make a pretty good case that he put himself at the top of the guard lists with a month that saw him score 24 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds per game. I hope we can get some type of confirmation tomorrow, because this is just outstanding news!

Too Long Away!

Sorry for the delay in posting, but it gets busy at the end of a season and I just didn't have much time to write. So, let's get right to talking about the end of the season.

First, what a tremendous end to our season! Joey and the guys could not have ended our season any better. I was out in Portland for the final game, and I was so impressed with the way the guys carried themselves and how they played in that final game. Maine was playing for the playoffs, and we were playing for nothing, and you would have thought the roles were reversed. Our guys were all business, and they earned a hard fought win against a good team.

The main man in the final game was clearly Oliver Lafayette. Joey kept calling his number as the game wound down, and Oliver kept making play after play. He started off with two twisting drives that ended up in buckets, and he then worked the pick and roll perfectly to get AK a basket and to get himself back to the line. He was magnificent, and I think he elevated himself to being one of the better players in the league.

From there, the entire team was tremendous. Rob Kurz continued his yeoman's work on the inside with yet another double-double. Rod Wilmont made big bucket after big bucket and put on a defensive clinic. Ryan Ayers and Dewitt Scott made big three after three, and Carlos English was fantastic off the bench in leading our team and getting guys easy buckets. Finally, Anthony Kent, who battled injuries all year, made big buckets, big rebounds, and big blocks to seal the victory.

While it wasn't a playoff year, I think these guys lost the losing culture our franchise has suffered through for two and a half years. Indeed, I am looking forward to seeing what we can do next year!

The results from that great finish were recognized in two different ways -- Oliver Lafayette and Rob Kurz were named co-players of the week, and Rob Kurz was just called up to the Bulls! A fantastic end to the season, and the whole team should feel good about those accomplishments.

So, now we head into the off season, and we will be preparing to give our fans another great year of Mad Ants basketball. It should be fun!

Portland, Maine, Here I Come!

There is a picture of my seat on a plane, where I have somehow squeezed my way into a seat. It could get ugly if the person in front of me tries to recline. The key for a 6'9 person is to shove your knees right behind the seat. This will physically stop anyone from trying to recline on one of these puddle jumpers should they not have the common decency to not reclining on these small planes. In fact, I move that airlines eliminate the ability to recline. There really is no need. Whoa --this guy in front of me is a little fidgety. Things could get ugly!

As the title describes, I am on my way to Maine to watch the final game of the season. Tough to believe the season is already over. We have had our fair share of tough times this season, but we have improved throughout the season and are playing our best ball at the end.

Last night, the team put together an outstanding, professional effort and took home a 17 point win. Rob Kurz missed only one shot on his way to 27 points, Oliver continued his fine play with 24 points and 9 assists, and Rod Wilmont had one of his best games of the season with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 steals. That is stuffing the stat sheet!

That pushes us to 21 wins on the season, and a 3 game improvement from last season. I admit, I wasn't sure we would improve upon that, but all the credit goes to the staff and players for not giving up on the season and continuing to improve.

Plane door is closed, so I have to go. More later!

Keep It Rolling!

We are heading into our final two games of the season with a game against Springfield tonight and a game against Maine tomorrow night. We have won 6 of our last 7 games, and we have finally broken the 20 win plateau. Yes, I dare say I am feeling quite happy about our small steps. I think these small steps will lead to better years in the future.

As for tonight, we had a big win against Springfield the other night after a tough day of travel and a game the night before. I think this is even bigger. I believe it is Springfield's final game of the year, and they are going to be amped to send their season off in the right way. So, we have to match their intensity early and take away any belief that they can beat us.

As I look at the team's recent success, I think I can look at one player who has been a huge part of that success -- Rod Wilmont. Rod has been a player that was, to me, all flash. He was solely a player who was focused on offensive numbers, and I thought he struggled. Now, he has turned into our glue guy, a rare D-League player who takes pride in defense and winning. Indeed, he has taken the challenge of guarding each team's best wing, and he has done very well. He has also done a great job of being a vocal leader on the defensive end who motivates and communicates to his teammates in the best possible way. With his improved focus on defense and team play, it is not surprise that we have seen his offensive numbers spike. After averaging 8.3 points per game, Rod is averaging 15.5 points per game and 6 rebounds per game in these last 7 games. Rod has gone from being all flash to all substance, and he is a big part we have experienced some success here in the last bit of the season. Keep it going, Rod!