Does the name ring a bell? It should.

The Erie BayHawks drafted the former Indiana University sharpshooter in the 2009 D-League Draft. Wilmont had a team-high 23 points in a preseason win against Fort Wayne, but the BayHawks, coached by John Treloar at the time, waived him and guard Oliver Lafayette on the last day of camp.

Treloar and Erie assistant Ben McDonald were an assistants at Indiana when Wilmont, 27, was there. While Lafayette, who played for Erie in its expansion season in 2008-09, had big scoring games against the BayHawks, Wilmont contributed as well to Fort Wayne getting the best of Erie last season.

Now do you remember?

Well, Treloar is the director of player personnel in Phoenix, Lafeyette is playing overseas, but Wilmont is back in Fort Wayne and is simply on fire right now heading into today’s game against Erie.

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Lafayette has shown a more complete game in Fort Wayne than he did while with Erie last season.

When Fort Wayne combo guard Oliver Lafayette received his starting lineup introduction, a small buzz of cheers arose Wednesday night at Tullio Arena.

By the time the first half ended, a fan said the following to him:

“Hey Oliver, we still love you, man.”

The way Lafayette shot the ball probably made some Erie fans wish he was still a BayHawk.

Lafayette scored 25 first-half points on a ridiculous 9-of-9 shooting from the field in the 21 minutes, 42 seconds. He was an amazing 5-of-5 from the 3-point line.

Now Lafayette cooled off in the second half, the Mad Ants lost 109-87, but Lafayette showed the BayHawks, their coach John Treloar and their fans he’s a pretty darn good player.

“Coach realize I’m a player and a force to be reckoned with,” said Lafayette, who finished with a season-high 32 points on 12-of-18 shooting. “Coming into this game, I didn’t have any grudges. I just wanted to lead my team to a victory.”

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Once a BayHawk, Oliver Lafayette returned to Erie as a Fort Wayne Mad Ant on Saturday night.

Oliver Lafayette and Rod Wilmont returned to Erie on Saturday night as Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

Pretty weird to see Lafayette in a different uniform, but he was still launching those rainbow 3-pointers, making two big ones in the fourth quarter that helped put away the BayHawks, 89-87, Saturday night at Tullio Arena. He scored 16 points with half coming in the fourth.

After the game, I talked to Lafayette about Erie and he said he has no issues with its players or coaching despite getting cut by the team on the final day of training camp. However, he did prove to a certain extent the ability to play point guard, which was a question mark while in Erie by dishing out a game-high nine assists Saturday.

Wilmont, who was heated when he got released back in November, didn’t express any ill will towards the BayHawks either, saying he still has love for guys like Cedric Jackson and Jackie Manuel. He had just three points, but made a pair of free throws to seal the game. He also grabbed eight rebounds.

With the two teams facing each other again later today at 2 p.m. and Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Tullio Arena, expect those two to continue to try to have big games against Erie.

The Fort Wayne Mad Ants did something the Erie BayHawks couldn’t: Beat the Maine Red Claws.

The BayHawks lost three consecutive times to Maine this past week, but the Mad Ants (4-5) upset the Red Claws in Maine, 113-105. Ironically, former BayHawk guard Oliver Lafayette had a big game against Maine as he scored 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting as a starter. Lafayette went 3-of-6 from 3-point range.

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A week after being waived by the Erie BayHawks on the final day of training camp, guards Rod Wilmont and Oliver Lafayette made their debuts with Fort Wayne on Thursday night.

The Mad Ants lost 102-95 at Iowa to fall to 1-2 on the season.

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Jeff Potter is excited.

The Fort Wayne team president giddily blogged about adding guards Oliver Lafayette and Rod Wilmont after the Erie BayHawks waived them the final day of training camp last week. Check out his blog post.

In the process, he waived two players – Andres Sandoval and Brandon Cotton – who shot just 11-of-37 from the field in Fort Wayne’s first two games, which ironically were against Erie.

The BayHawks won the opener and lost the rematch last weekend.

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Legendary coach Bobby Knight would have been proud of how his former player, Martin Zeno, right, shined in the Erie BayHawks' training camp.

This wasn’t easy.

Couldn’t have been.

The Erie BayHawks narrowed down their roster from 12 players to the D-League mandated 10 by 5 p.m. today. The BayHawks ended up cutting guards Rod Wilmont and Oliver Lafayette.

I knew Erie coach John Treloar was going to have to waive one outside shooter because I figured he’d keep four big men. So I figured either Zach Sowers, Wilmont or Lafayette was going to have to go.

What I didn’t figure into the equation was Martin Zeno.

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Forward Ivan Harris has shaved his head since last season with Erie and no longer rocks the braids.

The Erie BayHawks have to make their final two cuts by Wednesday at 5 p.m. to get their roster down to 10 players for the season opener Friday at Fort Wayne.

On Monday night, the BayHawks had a controlled scrimmage at East High School that revealed quite a bit about each of the remaining 12 players. The White team consisted of guards Cedric Jackson, Oliver Lafayette, Rod Wilmont, forwards Ivan Harris, Kyle Goldcamp and center John Bryant.

That team beat the Black team, 34-32. The black team consistead of first-round pick, guard Donell Taylor, guards Zach Sowers and forwards Jackie Manuel, Martin Zeno, Alade Aminu and Jarvis Gunter.

Very competitive game, but here’s what I noticed about each player in the scrimmage.

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If Alade Aminu (44) can finish at the rim with force like this for the Erie BayHawks, now they have a legit inside presence in the paint.

After watching Tuesday night’s practice at East High, this is what I’ve noticed about some of the new guys in training camp for the Erie BayHawks.

The team must cut one more to get its roster down to 12 by 5 p.m. Wednesday. The BayHawks have a noon practice at LECOM Health and Wellness Center.

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Ivan Harris is safe from getting cut Wednesday. Who else in Erie's training camp is secure as a blanket?

The Erie BayHawks must make one more cut to get their roster down to 12 before 5 p.m. Wednesday.

The way I see it, six spots are already secure, I think.

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