Frankie Fidler might be a Spartan sooner rather than later and if that happens, he’d fit in perfectly with Michigan State basketball.
Frankie Fidler is officially heading into his second full day with Michigan State basketball and he’s already gotten a full Spartan experience. He even made a pitstop at Conrad’s to try one of their famous wraps — if that doesn’t win him over, I don’t know what will.
But Tom Izzo is working hard to get Fidler to join the Spartans ahead of the 2024-25 season for a title push.
When I first heard that Fidler was a target and Michigan State made his top four along with Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Creighton, I’ll admit I was skeptical. He was a name I hadn’t heard before and the competition he faced at Omaha wasn’t exactly elite. But the more I watched his game and combed through the numbers, the more I felt like this fit was perfect.
What was the one need Tom Izzo said that the Spartans had to address this offseason? A bigger wing who could shoot. What is Fidler? A big wing who can shoot. He fits the exact description of Izzo’s top priority.
Not just that, but he’s a three-level scorer. He can shoot from deep, mid-range, and he creates for himself with the ball in his hands. Fidler averaged 20.1 points per game and shot 45 percent from the floor. Oh, and he’s automatic from the line (MSU desperately needs that).
And while he faced teams like North Dakota, South Dakota, Oral Roberts, Kansas City, and Denver regularly at Omaha, he did still face some power conference teams in non-conference play. In 2023-24, his Mavericks faced Texas Tech and TCU and he averaged 16 points and five rebounds in those two contests, shooting 12-for-26 from the floor and 4-for-10 from deep. He didn’t shy away from the NCAA Tournament-level competition.
Rewind to his sophomore season and he scored in double figures against Kansas and Mississippi State, though he did struggle against Nebraska (1-for-8 from the floor) and had six points, three rebounds, and three assists on 2-for-5 shooting against Iowa.
Fidler’s sophomore to junior year improvement is what made him such a priority for Michigan State basketball. And his game will translate and would fit perfectly in East Lansing.
Does a forward with length, scoring, rebounding, shooting touch, and the ability to score at all three levels sound familiar? It almost sounds like Joey Hauser but with more scoring prowess. And Hauser worked out quite well in East Lansing.
If Fidler does pick Michigan State, he’s going to be a perfect fit and he’ll undoubtedly make the Spartans instant contenders.
More must-reads: