Fort Wayne Mad Ants President Jeff Potter is grateful that the Fort Wayne community has embraced the NBA Development League team.
Now, Potter, head coach Jaren Jackson and the Mad Ants are taking their show on the road, trying to attract fans outside of the Summitt City.At a press conference Monday afternoon, the Mad Ants announced they will play an exhibition game against the Erie Bayhawks on Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. at Grace College's Orthopaedic Capital Center.
"We are so happy to bring the highest level of basketball outside of the NBA to Grace College," said Potter. "The Fort Wayne Community has been so gracious and accpeting of our team, and we would like to spread that out to the surrounding communities of northeast Indiana. We hope this game will draw in new fans who will love the Mad Ants and the NBA D-League as much as we do, and we hope they will come on down to the (Memorial) Coliseum once the regular season starts to watch our quest for the NBA D-League title."
Court-side seats for the game will be $20 each, while other tickets for the game will be $10 each. There will be a special section for Grace College students, who can show their school ID and get a ticket for $5.
"We are very honored to be able to bring professional basketball to Grace College," said Grace College Athletic Director Chad Briscoe. "The opportunity to host the Fort Wayne Mad Ants will bring a great deal of excitement to our campus and also to Kosciusko County. We hope that this can be the beginning of a great relationship for many years to come. The Orthopaedic Capital Center is the newest basketball facility in the state of Indiana and we are so excited to partner with the Mad Ants to provide a fantastic atmosphere to kick off their season."
The exhibition game at the OCC marks the first time the Mad Ants have hosted an exhibition game, as well as the first time they've played a home game outside of Fort Wayne.
Much like minor league baseball teams are affiliated with Major League teams, NBA D-League teams are affiliated with NBA teams.
The Fort Wayne Mad Ants are affiliated with three teams, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers.
"This should be very exciting," said Jackson, who played 13 years in the NBA and won a championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 1999. "I hope people come out and support our team and support Grace College. This should be an exciting day for everyone involved."
Among those playing for the Mad Ants are NBA prospects Ron Howard, Walker Russell and Coleman Collins.
Collins was the Mad Ants' first pick in the 2008 NBA D-League draft.
"I'd love to pack the place," Potter said of how he hopes fans will support the Mad Ants and Grace College. "We're bringing an exciting brand of basketball to Grace College and the Orthopaedic Capital Center. These are future NBA players. Fans can get their feet on the court for $20 and get a regular seat for $10. That's very affordable to see players that will be in the NBA someday."
While fans will get a chance to see NBA prospects in uniform, local basketball junkies will also get a chance to see a former Grace College Lancer on the sidelines coaching.
Doug Noll, who was among the inaugural class inducted into the Grace College Hall of Fame over the weekend, is an assistant coach for the Mad Ants.
"It's great to come back to Grace College," said Noll, who was an NAIA All-American in 1978. "This is going to be very exciting."
The Mad Ants led the NBA D-League in average attendance last season.
The NBA D-League was founded in 2001 and is the NBA's official minor league system.
There are currently 16 teams, which are all directly affiliated with NBA teams.
