Mar 17, 2022; Portland, OR, USA; Boise State Broncos forward Abu Kigab (24) controls the ball as Memphis Tigers guard Alex Lomax (10) reacts on the ground in the second half during the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Fort Wayne Mad Ants draft Abu Kigab in first round of G League draft, finalize training camp roster
The 2022 NBA G League Draft took place over the weekend, and the Fort Wayne Mad Ants had three picks — the 13th pick in the first round, and the tenth and 13th picks in the third round. The Mad Ants are the G League affiliate of the Indiana Pacers.
With their first selection, general manager Chris Taylor and his front office selected Abu Kigab, a 23-year old rookie forward. The Mad Ants opted not to use either of their third round picks, which is common — only eight of the 29 third-round picks were actually used.
Kigab, a six-foot-seven-inch Canadian, is older for a rookie. He spent five years in the NCAA ranks after playing at Oregon for two years prior to transferring to Boise State. In the last of his three seasons with the Broncos, Kigab averaged 14.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
He went undrafted in the 2022 NBA draft, but he landed with the Toronto Raptors for summer league play. In two appearances, he averaged 7.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
"I felt comfortable, for sure. Like I said, I just take it one play at a time, one possession at a time. That makes it a lot easier for me," Kigab said after a double-double against the Milwaukee Bucks in Las Vegas. He said he focused on defense and rebounding in the performance.
The Mad Ants have had success in recent G League drafts. In 2021, the team selected Gabe York, who went on to earn a two-way contract with the Pacers and play in two NBA games. The year prior, they selected Oshae Brissett, who has now been with Indiana for three seasons. He even averaged over 10 points per game in his first season with the blue and gold. In 2015, Fort Wayne grabbed Walt Lemon Jr. in the G League draft, and he went on to have a two-year NBA career while also spending time with the Pacers in 2019. The organization will hope that Kigab can be another success story.
One day after drafting Kigab, the Mad Ants finalized their roster for training camp ahead of the coming G League season.
The Mad Ants roster features seven former/current NBA players and six guys who played for Fort Wayne last season. There is a lot of familiarity.
The team opens training camp this week, which will take place in both Indianapolis and Fort Wayne. The Mad Ants season begins on November 5, and the team must have the roster cut down from 17 players to 12 by that day.
Tom Hankins is the head coach of the Mad Ants, and he spends his time as a Pacers assistant coach when the G League season isn't ongoing. Fort Wayne and Indiana play a similar style.
The Mad Ants finished 17-17 last season and will hope to improve with continuity and added talent.
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