Mad Ants coach Joey Meyer reflected on his first draft with the team by suggesting it was time for the NBA D-League to innovate.
The Ants drafted a number of talented shooters, including Auburn's Frank Tolbert, Penn State's Jamelle Cornley, Creigton's Booker Woodfox and former Indiana University guard A.J. Ratliff.
Plus, they had already acquired Notre Dame's Kyle McAlarney and returning Ants long-distance specialist DeWitt Scott.
“This is the most shooters I've ever had going into camp,” Meyer said after the draft Thursday. “We're going to change the rules. Instead of up and down, we're going to have a “horse” game or a three-point-shooting contest. I guarantee you I don't see anybody beating us in a three-point shooting contest.”
Meyer was joking, of course.
“If we don't defend,” he said, “we're not going to win.”
The Ants drafted Georgia Tech's 6-foot-10 Alade Aminu with their first pick, but were talking with another D-League team about a trade late Thursday night.
“He's a heck of an athlete,” Meyer said. “If the trade opportunity doesn't come through, we got a heck of a player.”
Aminu said Thursday he was excited about the opportunity to play in the D-League, and that he would describe himself as a “long, athletic shot blocker who gets up and down the floor.”
The Ants' other picks were Tolbert, who averaged 13.4 points per game two years ago at Auburn; Cornley, who averaged 14.4 points per game last season at Penn State; Woodfox, who shot 47.6 percent from three-point range and won the Larry Bird Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year award; Lenny Stokes, who played for Meyer a few years back in Tulsa; C.J. Anderson, a swingman from Xavier; Andres Sandoval, a guard from Dayton; and Ratliff.
Ratliff has been out of basketball for a while, but is trying to revive his career.
“He's from IU, he can shoot and it's the eighth round,” Meyer said.
The Ants were not able to retain former IU guard Rod Wilmont, who was taken in the fifth round by the Erie BayHawks.
Erie is coached by John Treloar, who was an assistant at IU when Wilmont played there.
“He's probably not happy with us,” Meyer said. “Those are tough calls.”
Three returning players attended the draft party at Crazy Pinz: Chris Hunter, Anthony Kent and Scott.
Hunter said he learned a lot about his game in the New York Knicks training camp and is ready for the D-League season.
“I'm just trying to be more aggressive and play with more energy and more passion,” Hunter said. “I want to build on the things I did last year and be more of a leader, more vocal, out on the court.”
