Frankie Fidler greets Michigan State fans with loud Moneyball Pro-Am debut

Holt, Mich. – Michigan State fans who ventured out to Holt High School on the opening night of the Moneyball Pro-Am had an opportunity to see five new Spartans in action as Frankie Fidler, Kur Teng, Jase Richardson, Jesse McCulloch, and Szymon Zapala each made their respective debuts at the annual summer basketball showcase, now in its 19th year.

Several other familiar faces were also on hand to provide free entertainment for basketball fans in the Lansing area, including high-flying sophomore wing Coen Carr, and much improved classmate Xavier Booker. None of the competitors on the opening night of Moneyball Pro-Am play, however, was better than Fidler, a 6-foot-7 wing who played the past three seasons at Omaha.

Fidler, who is on the same Moneyball Pro-Am outfit Team Case Credit as McCulloch, stole show in the first of three games at Holt High School albeit in a losing effort against Team Goodfellas, featuring the Michigan State pairing of Zapala and Teng.

Fidler scored 27 points in the 76-63 loss in a match-up where more effort was given on the defensive end of the floor than what is typically on display in a Pro-Am setting. In fact, whether he was matched up against Teng, his Michigan State teammate, or current players from Central Michigan or Grand Valley State University, Fidler faced better-than-token defense on a good number of possessions. And because Fidler had the ball in his hands as much as he did on Tuesday Night, he eventually wore down.

When Fidler was fresh, however, he gave Michigan State fans a lot to cheer about. He effortlessly hit threes in transition. He also hit a couple of difficult mid-range shots, and he also drove to the basket and showed himself to be an effective finisher. On one of those finishes, Fidler brought the crowd at Holt High School alive with an impressive dunk on a drive to the basket. On that play, Fidler showed evidence of better-than-advertised athleticism.

“Frankie is tough,” said Michigan State point guard Tre Holloman said. “He can post up. He can shoot it. He can dribble. He has good size. I think Frankie will be good for us, great for us actually.”

Fidler gives Michigan State scoring, defensive length

Fidler averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game over three seasons as an All-Summit League Performer at Omaha. Now, he is hoping to make an immediate impact in Tom Izzo’s program as a big wing, who can help offset some of the scoring that was lost by the departure of a 2,000-point scorer in Tyson Walker, and a pair of 1,000-point scorers in Malik Hall and AJ Hoggard.

Last season at Omaha, Fidler averaged 20.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game.

“A big part was wing scoring,” said Fidler, explaining why Michigan State made him a recruiting priority in its last class. “During the visit, they showed me film of different guys, and I thought it was the perfect fit, and ultimately that’s why I came here.

“I want to bring wing shooting and just length on the perimeter. Being 6-7, defense and offense is going to be good for us as a team. Just taking it up a notch from last year, showing what I did last year I can do in the biggest stage as well.”

Fidler shot a respectable percentage (35.6) from three during his final season at Omaha as the primary focus of opposing defenses. At Michigan State, Fidler should benefit from having more pieces around him.

“We have a lot of great players on this team,” Fidler said. “Jaden, Tre, Coen, Book, Coop, a lot of people who can score on offense. Not being the only guy looked at all of the time is going to be good.”

Why Fidler chose the Spartans

Fidler grew up in Omaha, Nebraska where he teamed up with first-year UCLA teammates Chucky Hepburn and Will Kyle to win a state championship at powerhouse Bellevue West as a high school junior. Because he stayed close to home to start his college basketball career, many expected Fidler to transfer to either Nebraska or Creighton after he entered the NCAA transfer portal following his junior season at Omaha. But the opportunity to play for a Hall of Fame coach in Izzo at a storied program in Michigan State proved too much to pass up for Fidler.

“A big reason was playing basketball at the highest level,” Fidler said. “When you think about Michigan State, you think about all of the championships that they’ve won, and the Final Fours. It really is the highest level and I wanted to challenge myself to play at such a big school. Playing for someone like Coach Izzo, not many people get to play for someone like that.”

Michigan State sealed a commitment from the Omaha star during his official visit.

“When I got to East Lansing, a big thing was that my mom fell in love with it,” Fidler said. “I fell in love with it too, but since she was a big helper in my decision it kind of made it easier.”

Fidler considers it an honor to be among the handful of players Michigan State recruited out of the transfer portal.

“It was an honor that they chose me to go after in the transfer portal because they don’t go after a lot,” Fidler said. “I was really picky about the school, and I wanted to see past transfers and everything. They went through it all, and it was a perfect fit.”

Smooth adjustment so far for Fidler at Michigan State

Fidler is adjusting well at Michigan State and has had little difficulty meeting the increased demands of playing basketball at a high-major program.

“I got here about a month ago, at the end of May,” Fidler said. “And then getting myself going, getting comfortable with the team, the workouts, everything. But it has been easy, the guys are really friendly and personable, kind of brought me in like a family, like everyone thinks about Michigan State as a family. It has been good.”

Fidler credits returning like Holloman for helping him get acclimated at Michigan State.

“Most of the team really, maybe not the freshmen just because they’re new,” said Fidler when asked who has helped him with his transition to Spartan basketball. “Everyone returning kind of brought me in helped me out, got me acclimated, go me feeling comfortable. The main guy probably (has been) Tre Holloman. We live in the same complex and do a lot of things together.”

Fidler excels in shooting the transition jumper. His ability to shoot the ball on the fastbreak was evident throughout the night against Team Goodfellas. In transition, Fidler knocked down shots both off the bounce and catch and shoot. He is eager to bring that skill to bear at Michigan State, which has been one of the best transition scoring teams in the country throughout the Izzo era.

“It’s one of my favorite shots,” Fidler said of the transition three.

At Moneyball, Fidler also showed confidence in his ballhandling. He made several plays off the dribble in the halfcourt. He also frequently brought the ball up the court after made baskets, and he also pushed the tempo for his offense turning defensive rebounds into transition scoring opportunities.

Adjusting to the physicality of play in the Big Ten will be among the biggest challenges for Fidler as a first-year Spartan.

“It’s the Big Ten, so you expect that it’s going to be physical, so that’s kind of the biggest difference that I’ve seen so far,” Fidler said. “And then, the way that Michigan State plays is really fast, so that has been the biggest difference.”

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