Michigan State basketball makes huge portal splash, lands Frankie Fidler

Michigan State basketball made a massive transfer portal splash on Tuesday afternoon, landing Omaha’s Frankie Fidler.

March 29, 2021. That is the date Tyson Walker committed to Michigan State basketball out of the transfer portal from Northeastern. In over three years since then, he took over and became the Spartans’ leading scorer and go-to guy. He also happens to be the last commit Tom Izzo has taken from the transfer portal. Not surprisingly, of course. Tom Izzo has been one of the most vocal opponents of how the current state of the transfer portal works.

After another year of not making it to the second weekend of this year’s NCAA Tournament, Izzo vowed he would re-examine that. He was tired of bowing out of the dance early and stated that he would stop at nothing to get this program back to Final Fours or even winning that elusive second national title. The hope from fans is that we could start becoming a program that can attract some nice talent to complement our own roster.

On Tuesday, we see that plan coming true.

We’ve seen MSU’s name get included in several portal targets this offseason so far but now we can officially say we’ve landed a commitment. Omaha transfer Frankie Fidler has officially committed to the Spartans.

Spartyyyyy let’s do itt!!! pic.twitter.com/7eB5Qb2f82

— Frankie Fidler (@FrankieFidler_) April 23, 2024

Fidler is a senior with one more year of eligibility left. He averaged 20.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game last year. He is a massive get and will be expected to fill in on the wing at the small forward spot. Fidler is listed at 6-foot-7 and has great size. His offensive ability is dynamic and will certainly be able to score from all three levels. He shot 35.6% from deep last year and 45.2% from the floor.

While he is certainly known for his offensive production, his skills on the defensive end are solid as well. He is smart and efficient. I think his defensive production is a little underrated from what I’ve seen. He might surprise some folks on that end of the floor.

The Spartans came from behind to beat out other major schools such as Wisconsin, Creighton, and his hometown Nebraska program in this recruitment. Fidler attended Bellevue West High School in Nebraska. He was initially unranked coming to college and ended up landing at Omaha. For most of the time he was in the portal, Wisconsin expected to be the heavy favorite to land him. He and now former Wisconsin player Chucky Hepburn played together in high school.

Fidler came to East Lansing for an official visit on the weekend of April 11. He left blown away by what the Spartans had to offer.

The Omaha transfer should fit in nicely in the Spartans’ lineup that hopes to return Jaden Akins to his original two-guard position. While Michigan State basketball has been listed as a potential landing spot for other portal prospects, it’s unclear if the Spartans land any more. Regardless, this is a great addition to the program.