Duane Ticknor, a minor-league coaching veteran who led the Dakota Wizards to back-to-back playoff appearances from 2007 to ’09, will be the next head coach of the Mad Ants.That is not only a light at the end of this cold January tunnel; that’s rest – and some much-needed practice time.
Eight days off after today’s 5 p.m. home game against Iowa will be the immediate reward for a Mad Ants team that played 10 of 14 January games on the road.
The next time the Ants return for an NBA D-League game will be Feb. 9, when they face Rio Grande Valley.
Coach Joey Meyer says the respite couldn’t come at a better time.
“I’m really looking forward to a few days off for them so they can heal up and get back, getting into a cohesive unit, knowing where we’re at,” Meyer said. “In the meantime, there would be nothing better than going into that break with the ‘W’ and some confidence and some positive attitude, and coming back for what I consider the second half of the season.”
But the “W” will be difficult.
Iowa (21-6) comes into Memorial Coliseum today with not only the best record in the D-League, but with a 10 1/2 -game lead over the Mad Ants (10-16) in the East.
“Think about it: We’re 10-16, and we’re 0-6 against them,” Meyer said. “That’s scary bad.”
The Ants are 0-5 against the Energy in Iowa, and the only time the two teams played at the Coliseum was Jan. 3, when Iowa walked off with a 100-81 win. In the six games so far, Iowa has averaged 112 points against the Mad Ants.
“Iowa’s good,” Meyer said. “They’ve got the best record in the league and they present unique problems for us (with) their athleticism. They create a lot of offense from their defense, and one of the keys to the game – maybe the No. 1 – is us taking care of the basketball. If we give them all those layups ’cause we’re turning it over, we don’t have much of a chance.”
The Ants’ chances enhanced somewhat when Meyer said that 6-foot-11 center Jared Reiner is expected to return to the lineup today.
Reiner, who averaged 15.5 points and 10.3 rebounds, has missed the last eight games with a back injury.
He has been just part of the M*A*S*H unit, aka the Mad Ants.
Leading scorer Ron Howard continues to be sidelined with a fractured left hand, guard Kyle McAlarney is out with an ankle injury, and forward Anthony Kent saw limited action last Thursday with an abdominal strain.
“I’m frustrated because it seems like I’m spending more time trying to figure out who’s healthy, who isn’t, what our combinations will be, who’s playing where instead of getting a set lineup and teaching,” Meyer said.
“It’s been a frustrating period for me right now. I think it’s been a little frustrating for our team.”
