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.When: 7:30 p.m. today
Where: Canton, Ohio
Records: Mad Ants 10-18, Canton 13-16
Web cast: fortwaynehoops.com
Mad Ants leaders: Ron Howard (19.8 ppg), Darnell Lazare (8.0 rpg), Travis Walton (5.2 apg)*
Canton leaders: Manny Harris (18.6 ppg), Dante Milligan (8.9 rpg), T.J. Campbell (3.9 apg)
Key matchup: Harris and Milligan provide Canton with a formidable 1-2 punch up front. The Ants have gotten sporadic play from 7-foot-1 center Mike Tisdale, who averages nearly 12 points per game, and using his inside presence would be a key factor in the win.
The skinny: This will be the fifth time that the Ants and Canton have played, and each time (two in Fort Wayne, two in Canton) the home team has won. Leading scorer Howard has recovered from a thumb injury that has sidelined him for nearly a month.
* – Statistics through Feb. 8
