Rob Kurz and Oliver Lafayette of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants were today named NBA Development League Co-Performers of the Week for games played during the week of March 29, when the Mad Ants recorded a 3-0 record to close out the 2009-10 NBA D-League regular season. The award is a first for both Kurz and Lafayette.
Kurz, a 6-9 230-pound forward from Notre Dame, recorded three double-doubles last week in road wins over the Springfield Armor and Maine Red Claws. He scored 27 points, one shy of his season high, in a 100-83 win over the Armor on April 1, and returned on April 2 to finish with a 19-point, 12-rebound double-double in a 105-92 win over the Maine Red Claws in Portland. For the week, Kurz averaged 23.3 points on 56 percent (23-of-41) shooting from the floor to go with 10.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists. An NBA D-League All-Star, Kurz averaged 17.5 points and 10.1 rebounds (third in the NBA D-League) in 39 games, 25 starts, for the Mad Ants this season. He scored in double figures on 35 occasions, notching 21 double-doubles.
Lafayette, a 6-2, 190-pound guard out of Houston, scored a game-high 32 points in Fort Wayne’s win over Maine on April 2. He began the week with 26- and 24-point outings on March 29 and April 1, respectively. For the week, Lafayette averaged a team-high 27.3 points, 8.7 assists and 7.3 rebounds. A key contributor to the Mad Ants all season, Lafayette led the team in scoring 12 times, including a season-high 34 points in a 108-94 home win over Maine on March 16. For the season, Lafayette averaged 17.1 points, 6.5 assists and 4.6 rebounds.
Other top performers last week included Erie’s Blake Ahearn, who averaged 31.5 points, 10.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds in two games for the BayHawks; Rio Grande Valley’s Will Conroy, who averaged 22.0 points, 9.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds in four games for the Vipers; Idaho’s Joe Dabbert, who averaged 20.0 points and 14.7 rebounds in three games for the Stampede; Reno’s Desmon Farmer, who averaged 25.3 points and 7.7 assists in three games for the Bighorns; Austin’s Dwayne Jones, who averaged 19.0 points and 18.5 rebounds in two games for the Toros; Sioux Falls’ Joe Krabbenhoft, who averaged 24.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in two games for the Skyforce; Idaho’s Coby Karl, who averaged 22.7 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists in three games for the Stampede; Sioux Falls’ Greg Stiemsma, who averaged 17.5 points and 11.5 rebounds in two games for the Skyforce; and Idaho’s Donell Taylor, who averaged 24.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 7.7 assists in three games for the Stampede.
