What rotton luck for Ron Howard - a guy who could use some good luck.Howard, the Ants' 6-foot-5 guard and leading scorer, was named to play in the NBA D-League All-Star Game on Feb. 13 in Dallas. So was 6-9 forward Rob Kurz.While both are quite deserving, you've got to feel for Howard.

In Vegas, they call it rolling a perfect seven.In Fort Wayne, they just call it frustrating.

After covering IU for all of the years in which Rod Wilmont played, I had seen this kind of thing before of him draining unconscious threes and jumping into passing lanes for steals and finishing off with a flying dunk that lifts fans from their seats.It was just nice to see it again.

There'll be a new face on the Memorial Coliseum floor when the Mad Ants play Springfield on Thursday night.Jason Straight is a 6-foot-2 guard the Ants claimed to help serve as a back-up point guard to Oliver Lafayette.Straight became necessary when current guard Kyle McAlarney couldn't shake a nagging foot injury, and is doubtful to play Thursday.

After a long road trip that finally ended last weekend with a pair of losses against Iowa, the Mad Ants returned to Fort Wayne and on Monday had their first practice since ... well, since head coach Joey Meyer couldn't remember.

It's just what the doctor - or at least the Milwaukee Bucks - ordered for the ailing Mad Ants.

Well, the last of a long, arduous road trip is about to end this weekend for the Mad Ants.First they have to play at Austin on Wednesday night, and then they have to go to Iowa to play back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday.

The Mad Ants (9-13) will be without leading scorer Ron Howard when they play at Austin (9-9) on Wednesday, then visit East Division-leading Iowa (18-5) for back-to-back games Friday and Saturday.

This really was supposed to be a runaway - this D-League game Tuesday night at Memorial Coliseum between Maine (12-5 coming in) and Fort Wayne (7-11).