Lafayette going, Wittman coming

Mad Antics

The D-League will hold its annual national tryouts June 15 in New York. The one-day event will see 200 hopefuls in full-court games in front of team executives, coaches and scouts.May 16, 2013

Howard, Smith work at Development League camp

Mad Ants guard Ron Howard and center Tommy Smith accepted invitations to the NBA Development League Elite Mini Camp, which started Monday and runs through Tuesday in Chicago.May 13, 2013

Record year for D-League

It wasn't only the Mad Ants that made 2012-13 their best season; the rest of the NBA Development League had a record-setting year, as well.May 1, 2013

Tuesday's news that Oliver Lafayette will be leaving Fort Wayne and going to play in Turkey isn't that devastating for the Mad Ants.

The Lafayette who was sensational down the stretch last season and was called up to the NBA Boston Celtics is not the same Oliver Lafayette who has played 21 games with the Ants this year.

The 6-foot-2 guard has not been playing well, shooting well, or even defending well. Yet coach Joey Meyer felt obligated to play Lafayette with the hope that his game would eventually come around.

It didn't. In his last five games, Lafayette shot 31 percent from the floor.

To fill Lafayette's spot will be the son of one of Indiana's favorite sons.

Ryan Wittman, son of former Indiana University standout Randy Wittman, will be with the team Thursday when the Ants play Austin.

Like his father, Ryan Wittman is a 6-foot-7 outside shooting threat. He was the one who led Cornell to victories over Temple and Wisconsin in last year's NCAA Tournament. Cornell then lost to Kentucky in the Sweet 16.

Amazing how life can spin about.

Kentucky's best player last season was guard John Wall, who went to the NBA Washington Wizards, where Randy Wittman is an assistant coach.