Greg Gard and the Wisconsin basketball coaching staff have been in contact with a transfer portal wing out of the Summit League.
A source shared with Badgernotes.com that the Badgers have expressed interest in First Team All-Summit small forward Frankie Fidler from the University of Omaha. Joe Tipton of On3 reported that Alabama, Indiana, Nebraska, Georgetown, Arizona State, and Ole Miss also inquired.
The 6-foot-7 junior wing averaged 20.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game this season for the Mavericks. Fidler also shot 35.6% from beyond the arc on 4.4 attempts a night and was in the top 10 nationally in free throws made (216).
Averaging 36 minutes per game, the Nebraska native maintained a field goal percentage above 50% on 11 occasions, achieved double-digit scoring in 31 games, surpassed the 20-point mark in 17 games, reached 30 points in four games, and recorded five double-doubles.
Fidler is a do-it-all forward who has appeared in 94 career games, starting 91 of them, and has one year of eligibility remaining.
Wisconsin Basketball Interested in Omaha Transfer Frankie Fidler
Credit to Eric the Red on Twitter for the assist on this one because Frankie Fidler and Wisconsin basketball starting point guard Chucky Hepburn played together at Bellevue West High School.
Understandably, Fidler is going to be pursued by everyone looking to add a proven commodity to their program via the transfer portal. However, from a fit standpoint, Coach Gard’s free-flowing offensive system and Fidler’s skill set would be a perfect marriage should it come to fruition.
Fidler finished this past season with a 120.5 ORTG and a 4.9 PRPG, per Barttorvik, which would have been the highest points above replacement per game for Wisconsin basketball this season.
When it comes to shot selection, Fidler has what it takes to make you pay from all three levels. According to HoopMath, he takes 28.1% of his shots at the rim, 38.6% are two-point jumpers, and 33.3% from 3-point territory.
Another thing that makes Fidler so intriguing is his offensive efficiency, which complements the array of ways he can beat you. Synergy data shows that the Omaha standout averages 1.047 points per possession (88th percentile) in the half-court while chipping in 1.288 PPP in transition.
Wisconsin basketball could use another playmaking wing to complement the returning nucleus and make the Badgers evolving offense even more dynamic. Fidler fits that mold and would allow the Badgers to have some lineup versatility to play more small ball.
We’ll see if anything materializes here, but this makes a ton of sense. Hepburn better get a recruiting pitch thrown together, just in case.
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